Harry Sargeant III
Harry Sargeant III | |
|---|---|
 Sargeant in August 2007 | |
| Born | 30 December 1957 |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | Florida State University (1979) |
| Occupation | Shipping |
| Spouse | Deborah Sargeant |
| Awards | The Florida State University College of Business Hall of Fame |
Harry Sargeant III (born December 30, 1957) is a billionaire diversified energy and shipping magnate from Florida. A former officer and fighter pilot in the United States Marine Corps, Sargeant operates an expansive, multi-billion dollar conglomerate of private global enterprises consisting of aviation companies, oil refineries, oil trading operations, alternative fuels development, and oil and asphalt shipping, his Sargeant Marine Group being the largest fleet of asphalt tankers and barges in the world. He is also the owner of International Oil Trading Company (IOTC), a company that supplies aviation fuel to the U.S. Military in Iraq, and grosses billions of dollars annually. [2] [3][4]
Education and Military Service
Graduating from Florida State University in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in Business, Sargeant entered the Marine Corps attending Basic School after commissioning as a Second Lieutenant, followed by Naval flight school, where he earned his pilot wings in 1981 from Kingsville, Texas. Sargeant then joined the Black Sheep, Marine Attack Squadron 214 (VMA-214). A fighter squadron steeped in rich history and lore, the Black Sheep was the same squadron made famous in World War II, and commanded by Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington. As a fighter pilot, Sargeant's mission in the A4-M Skyhawk was to provide offensive air support, armed reconnaissance, and air-defense for Marine expeditionary forces, and he continued to serve in the Marine Corps Reserves as a pilot, graduating from Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun), and attaining the rank of Major before becoming inactive after 11 years of continual active duty and reserve service.[5]
Early Shipping Years and Sargeant Marine
Upon leaving Marine Corps active duty in 1987, Sargeant joined Delta Airlines as a line pilot, however soon left Delta to take the helm at Sargeant Marine Inc. a small shipping company his father, Harry Sargeant Sr., himself a retired Naval Officer, had founded in 1983. Initially Sargeant focused on the transportation of asphalt products through chartered vessels. In 1989 Sargeant introduced innovations into the international market, such as ISO bitumen containers, that would enable the shipment of his asphalt products to remote destinations worldwide.
In 1992 Sargeant began acquiring asphalt tankers in earnest, and within four years he had grown the young company to a fleet of six asphalt tankers, one ocean tug, three ocean barges and several hundred bulk containers. He also purchased and converted the vessel Asphalt Commander, which at the time was the largest asphalt tanker in the world at 35,000 dead-weight tons. Sargeant continued acquisition of large tankers throughout the remainder of the 1990's and into the next millennium, accumulating a dozen ships by the time of the Iraq War. In a tip of the hat to his alma mater FSU, Sargeant would go on to name one large tanker, a 108.5 meter ship, the Asphalt Seminole.[6][7]
Business Expansion and IOTC
IOTC Contracts and Iraq War Troop Surge
A major military defense contractor, in 2004 Sargeant's International Oil Trading Company (IOTC), a start-up under his guide, won an initial Pentagon contract to supply petroleum to U.S. troops and coalition forces in Iraq after the original contractor failed to perform. Over the course of the next five years IOTC quickly grew to accumulate more than $2.66 billion awards from the Pentagon to deliver fuel to troops in Iraq. Because of the increasing number of ambushes on fuel convoys running the southern corridor from Kuwait to Baghdad, the Department of Defense required that all fuel and oil supplies bound for northern bases had to transit Jordan and enter Iraq through Al Anbar Province, Ramadi, and on to Baghdad. Through diplomatic skill, a critical letter of authorization was obtained by Sargeant from Jordanian authorities allowing IOTC to transit the country. Subsequent DoD contracts escalated in value year over year as demand for oil and fuels increased for Central Command forces, particularly during the months of the surge of U.S. Forces into Iraq.[8][9] [10][11]
The following letter from Henry A Waxman to Robert M Gates
Political activities
A longtime major Republican fundraiser and active behind the scenes in Florida politics since the mid 1990's, Sargeant has had a long standing close relationship with Florida's incumbent Governor Charlie Crist, both being Pi Kappa Alpha, (πΚΑ) fraternity brothers in the 1970's at Florida State University. Following Crist's gubernatorial victory, Crist tapped Sargeant as the state Republican Party's Finance Chairman, a non paying post he held until early 2009. In the 2008 presidential race Sargeant donated to onetime Republican front-runner Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and eventual Republican nominee Senator John McCain. Crist had been considered as a possible McCain running mate, and is currently running as the Independent candidate for the United States Senate from Florida. [12][13][14]
Recently he made illegal contributions to Charlie Crist's 2010 run for one of Florida's two Senate seats in the United States Senate.[15]
Personal life
Harry Sargeant III is married to Deborah Sargeant and they have two children.
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2], "FSU 2010 Hall Of Fame Inductee"
- ^ [3], "Sargeant Marine Website"
- ^ [4], "The Florida State University: Harry Sargeant, III. teaches FSU students a thing or two."
- ^ [5] Florida State Hall of Fame Bio.
- ^ [6], "Sargeant Marine Company Background and History."
- ^ [7], "The Florida State University: Three alumni inducted into College of Business Hall of Fame"
- ^ "Multi-National Force - Iraq - MNC-I conducts Operation Phantom Thunder". Mnf-iraq.com. 2007-06-19. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ "US Iraq troop surge 'starts now'". BBC News. 2007-06-15.
- ^ [8], United States Department of Defense.
- ^ [9], "Defense Contract Totals: International Oil Trading Company Limited."
- ^ [10], "Los Angeles Times, "McCain returns Californians' money"
- ^ [11], "McCain to meet possible running mates."
- ^ [12], St. Petersburg Times, "Crist meets king, tours ancient city",
- ^ "Will donor scandals doom Crist's Senate bid?". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
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