Our Founder, John Ruan
For a country that depends so heavily on trucks to keep its business moving, it is fitting that John Ruan moved his first load of gravel on July 4, 1932.
That first truck was purchased with money gained from the sale of his family's car. Within months, he'd turned that one truck into three, and just two years later, at the age of 19, he was running a fleet of a dozen trucks throughout the Midwest. Today, Ben McLean, part of the third generation of the Ruan family, serves as CEO. We have grown to more than 300 nationwide operations; we operate 4,000 power units and 10,000 trailers; and we employ 5,000 team members. Ruan has also expanded into banking, real estate development, export-import operations, and more.
An Early Innovator
Our founder has played a significant role in not only our company, but the transportation industry as a whole. In fact, in 1997, the American Trucking Associations' Ruan Transportation Center building was dedicated in Washington, D.C., honoring Mr. Ruan's more than 60 years of service to the transportation industry.
Early on, Mr. Ruan prioritized safety, making Ruan the first transportation company in America to have a formal safety program. Not only did Mr. Ruan view safety as a moral imperative for the well-being of his employees, he viewed it as a competitive advantage over his competition. Under his leadership, the Ruan team developed the first truck capable of driving 1 million miles without major repairs. They introduced programs to reduce emissions. And, they developed and championed programs that rewarded safe driving.
A Community and Philanthropic Focus
John Ruan also cared about his community and the world around him. Rather than build a new corporate headquarters in the more spacious suburbs, he believed Des Moines could and should be a vibrant, thriving, professional city. So he built the 36-story Ruan Center office complex in the middle of downtown Des Moines, the tallest building in Iowa at the time. He brought the Marriott Hotel into the city and later erected Two Ruan Center. The result was the beginning of a downtown resurgence that continues to this day—and is championed by his grandson, John IV.
Outside of the transportation industry, the Ruans are well-known for their philanthropic efforts. Mr. Ruan's life was affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) when his wife and his daughter were stricken with the disease. In the late 1980s, Mr. Ruan personally donated $2 million for the establishment of the Ruan Neurological Center at Des Moines' Mercy Medical Center, which cares for patients with MS as well as other neurological disorders, such as stroke and Parkinson's disease.
The World Food Prize
Mr. Ruan was also dedicated to feeding the world. He held the belief that if people around the world could simply get enough food to eat, they would have the opportunity to improve their lives. Another accomplished Iowan, Dr. Norman Borlaug, had been working toward this goal his entire career, eventually creating the World Food Prize. Together, the two Iowans elevated this award to one of the most distinguished and important awards in agriculture. Created in 1986, the World Food Prize honors the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world. Each year, the prize recognizes a significant contribution from any field that affects the world's food supply, including food and agriculture, science and technology, manufacturing, marketing, nutrition, economics, poverty alleviation, political leadership, or the social sciences.
The prize was almost discontinued in 1990 when the original sponsor withdrew its support and the Nobel committee turned down Borlaug's request for funding. Fortunately, John Ruan heard of his fellow Iowan's dilemma and made the decision to establish a foundation that assumed sponsorship of the World Food Prize.
The prize became one of Mr. Ruan's passions, and he worked to raise its profile in Des Moines, across the nation, and throughout the world. In 1994, Ruan and Borlaug added the World Food Prize Youth Institute, and in 1997, Ruan contributed $10 million to permanently endow the prize and ensure its tenure in Des Moines. The World Food Prize Hall of Laureates—spearheaded by John Ruan III and the City of Des Moines—opened in 2011.
Today, with its $250,000 award, the World Food Prize is the foremost international award recognizing excellence and progress in overcoming global food production and distribution challenges while inspiring new generations to embrace the cause.
In Remembrance
John Ruan passed away on February 14, 2010, at the age of 96. He instilled our company with a respect for hard work, for integrity and for our customers. He treated his team members like an extension of his own family. His example—whether it was his positive attitude or the thousand little acts of kindness he performed—will continue to enrich our lives in the years to come.