Joe Craft
{{Short description|American businessman (born 1950)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Joe Craft
| image = Joe and Kelly Knight Craft at Independence Day celebration.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Joe and Kelly Craft in 2018
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|10|13}}
| birth_place = Hazard, Kentucky, U.S.
| alma_mater = University of Kentucky (BS, JD)
| employer = Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.
| occupation = Businessman
| spouse = {{marriage|Kelly Guilfoil Knight|2016}}
| children = 4
}}
Joseph Craft III (born 1950){{cite news|title=Hazard native gives generously to UK|url=http://www.hazard-herald.com/view/full_story/1515262/article-hazard-native-gives-generously-to-uk|access-date=April 13, 2015|newspaper=Hazard Herald|date=July 18, 2013|archive-date=October 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024081812/http://www.hazard-herald.com/view/full_story/1515262/article-Hazard-native-gives-generously-to-UK|url-status=dead}} is an American businessman. He is the president and chief executive officer of Alliance Resource Partners, L.P., the third-largest coal producer in the eastern United States.{{cite news|title=Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. Announces Acquisition of Coal Supply Agreements from Affiliate of Patriot Coal Corporation|url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150102005436/en/Alliance-Resource-Partners-L.P.-Announces-Acquisition-Coal|access-date=April 13, 2012|newspaper=Business Wire|date=January 2, 2015}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/02/us/scott-pruitt-coal-joseph-craft.html|title=A Courtside View of Scott Pruitt's Cozy Ties With a Billionaire Coal Baron|date=June 2, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=3 June 2018|issn=0362-4331}}
Personal life
Craft received an undergraduate degree in accounting in 1972 from the University of Kentucky, and then earned a JD degree in 1976 from the University of Kentucky College of Law.{{Cite web|last=Blackford|first=Linda|date=14 February 2013|title=Billionaire Joe Craft at nexus of Kentucky basketball, coal and politics|url=https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article44387625.html|website=Lexington Herald Leader}}{{Cite book|last=Williams|first=Chad|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ug9dDwAAQBAJ&q=university%20of%20kentucky%20law%201976|title=Escape the Law The Journey from Lawyer to Entrepreneur|publisher=Morgan James Publishing|year=2018|isbn=9781683508465}} Craft was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Craft's wife, businesswoman and former US Alternate Delegate to the United Nations Kelly Craft, was in 2017 appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to Canada by Donald Trump.{{Cite web|last=Kirby|first=Jen|date=2019-05-02|title=Trump has nominated Kelly Craft to be the next UN ambassador. Here's who she is.|url=https://www.vox.com/2019/5/2/18514139/kelly-craft-un-ambassador-trump-haley|access-date=2020-11-23|website=Vox|language=en}} In 2019 she became the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, also appointed by President Trump.{{Cite news|date=2019-02-23|title=Trump picks envoy to Canada Kelly Craft for U.N. ambassador|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-un-idUSKCN1QB2P5|access-date=2020-05-29}} The couple have six children and, as of 2018, 11 grandchildren.{{Cite web|url=https://www.moreheadstate.edu/News/2018/May/U-S-Ambassador-Kelly-Craft-to-address-Craft-Acade|title=U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft to address Craft Academy graduates|work=Morehead State News|date=May 9, 2018|access-date=June 27, 2021|archive-date=June 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609031211/https://www.moreheadstate.edu/News/2018/May/U-S-Ambassador-Kelly-Craft-to-address-Craft-Acade|url-status=dead}}
Career
Craft began his career at Mapco Inc, a pipeline company that had diversified into other energy sectors, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.{{Cite web|last=Loh|first=Tim|date=22 July 2017|title=Obscure coal CEO rains money on Trump while outflanking rivals|url=https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/obscure-coal-ceo-rains-money-on-trump-while-outflanking-rivals/article_7b7fb4cf-f360-572c-8415-469787116819.html|access-date=2020-11-23|website=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|language=en}} In 1985, he was elected senior vice president of legal and finance.{{Cite news|date=1985-07-15|title=EXECUTIVE CHANGES (Published 1985)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/15/business/executive-changes-121325.html|access-date=2020-11-23|issn=0362-4331}} In 1986, Craft became head of the coal division at Mapco.
In 1996, Craft led a management buyout of the unit.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegleaner.com/story/news/2019/08/09/arlp-confirms-webster-countys-dotiki-mine-close-one-week/1965881001/|title=Alliance Resource Partners confirms Dotiki Mine to cease production in one week|first=Douglas|last=White|website=The Gleaner}} The buyout involved Mapco selling a 75% stake in the coal division to the Beacon Group Energy Investment Fund.{{Cite web|date=16 January 1996|title=MAPCO Coal Sale Expected|url=https://oklahoman.com/article/2527148/mapco-coal-sale-expected/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=The Oklahoman|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|date=16 January 1996|title=COMPANY NEWS;MAPCO TO SELL A 75% STAKE IN ITS COAL UNIT (Published 1996)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/16/business/company-news-mapco-to-sell-a-75-stake-in-its-coal-unit.html|access-date=2020-11-23|issn=0362-4331}} The new company was called Alliance Coal LLC.{{Cite web|date=11 January 2019|title=Alliance Resource Partners Appoints Joseph Craft as Chairman of Board of Directors |url=https://miningconnection.com/coal_prep/news/article/alliance_resource_partners_appoints_joseph_craft_as_chairman_of_board_of_di|access-date=2020-11-23|website=Mining Connection}}
In 1999, he led the effort to take Alliance public. In August 1999, he became president and chief executive of Alliance.{{Cite web|date=21 October 2016|title=Football training facility renamed for Joe Craft|url=https://www.wkyt.com/content/sports/Football-training-facility-renamed-for-Joe-Craft-397941581.html|access-date=2020-11-23|website=WKYT|language=en}} In January 2019, while already president and chief executive officer of Alliance Resource Partners' general partner, he also assumed the additional role of chairman of the general partner's board of directors.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1086600/000155837019000075/ex-99d1.htm|title= ALLIANCE RESOURCE PARTNERS, L.P.; Names Craft Chairman of Board of Directors; Druten Elected to Replace Retiring Chairman Neafsey |website=sec.gov}}
In 2019, Alliance started mining under I-70 near the West Virginia state line with Pennsylvania. The long wall mining is expected to last until 2038.
Political activism
The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that Craft had given more money to Democratic candidates at the state level of office between 2008 and 2019 than to Republican candidates.{{Cite web|url=https://heavy.com/news/2019/02/joe-craft-kelly-craft-husband/|title=Joe Craft, Kelly Craft's Husband: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|first=C. C.|last=Strand|date=February 22, 2019}} In January 2012, Craft donated around $500,000 to Restore Our Future, a Super PAC supporting Mitt Romney.{{cite news|title=Billionaire Joe Craft at nexus of Kentucky basketball, coal and politics|url=http://www.kentucky.com/2012/11/04/2395622/billionaire-joe-craft-at-nexus.html|access-date=April 13, 2015|newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader|date=November 4, 2012}}
Craft is an ally and donor to Donald Trump.{{Cite news |last=Davenport |first=Coral |date=2025-03-27 |title=She Inspired Laws to Hold the Fossil Fuel Industry Accountable. Now She's a Target. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/27/climate/she-inspired-laws-to-hold-the-fossil-fuel-industry-accountable-now-shes-a-target.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} On July 11, 2016, Craft hosted a private fundraiser for Donald Trump at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky.{{cite news |date=June 28, 2016 |title=Donald Trump heading to Kentucky for fundraiser |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/28/donald-trump-heading-to-kentucky-for-fundraiser/ |access-date=February 6, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Times}} Through a trust, Craft contributed $1 million to the Trump presidential inaugural committee.{{Cite web |last=Siegel |first=Emily |date=3 April 2019 |title=Trump inaugural donors got ambassador nominations. Are they qualified? |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/donors-trump-inaugural-committee-got-ambassador-nominations-are-they-qualified-n990116 |access-date=2020-11-23 |website=NBC News |language=en}}
Philanthropy
In 2015 Joe Craft and his wife Kelly Craft co-founded the Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics at Kentucky's Morehead State University, a special program for academically exceptional high school students.{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/07/03/kelly-craft-canada_a_23474040/|title=Life As Trump's Envoy In Ottawa Hasn't Been Easy On Kelly Craft, Friends Say|date=July 4, 2018|website=HuffPost Canada|author=Althia Raj}} By 2019 they had committed over $10 million to the academy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lanereport.com/118230/2019/10/morehead-state-receives-additional-3-5m-commitment-for-craft-academy/|title=Morehead State receives additional $3.5M commitment for Craft Academy|date=October 18, 2019
| work=Lane Report}}
After Craft pledged $6 million toward the completion of the project, the Joe Craft Center, a state-of-the-art basketball practice facility for the Kentucky Wildcats men's and women's basketball teams, was named for him. This was the largest private gift in the history of UK Athletics.{{cite news|url=http://kentucky.scout.com/story/558335-uk-athletics-receives-record-gift|title=UK Athletics Receives Record Gift|date=August 18, 2006|publisher=The University of Kentucky|access-date=April 13, 2015}}
The Joe Craft Tower, a wing of the Hazard ARH Hospital in Hazard, was completed and opened in 2014.{{Cite web|url=https://www.arhfoundation.org/Articles/hazard_arh_regional_medical_center_receives_1_million_donation_from_joe_craft.aspx|title=Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center Receives $1 Million Donation From Joe Craft|website=ARH Foundation}} Craft donated $1 million to the project.
In 2014, he donated $5 million for "A Gathering Place for Tulsa", a park to be built along the city's Arkansas River waterfront.[https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/george-kaiser-family-foundation-partners-give-350-million-for-park "George Kaiser Family Foundation, Partners Give $350 Million for Park,"] Philanthropy News Digest.
In 2016, he donated $4.8 million for the construction of the facility housing the day-to-day University of Kentucky football operation.{{Cite web|url=https://ukathletics.com/news/2016/10/21/580a40bee4b0a2a187d869b4_131467809737250860.aspx|title=Joe Craft Football Training Facility to Be Named for Supporter|date=October 21, 2016|website=University of Kentucky Athletics}}
In 2019, he made a $3 million gift to support the Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise, in the Gatton College of Business and Economics, of the University of Kentucky.{{Cite web|url=https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/uk-board-accepts-joe-craft-gift-gatton-colleges-institute-study-free-enterprise|title=UK Board Accepts Joe Craft Gift to Gatton College's Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise|date=June 21, 2019|website=UKNow}}
In 2022, he made a $7.5 million gift to renovate the University of Kentucky football team's indoor practice facility.{{cite news |last1=Terrel |first1=Tres |title=Indoor Practice Facility Project Gets Major Donation From The Craft's |url=https://www.catscoverage.com/post/indoor-practice-facility-project-gets-major-donation-from-the-craft-s |access-date=16 September 2022 |publisher=Cats Coverage, LLC}}
Craft has taken the Giving Pledge, pledging "to give the vast majority of my resources to philanthropic causes and charitable endeavors targeted to people and organizations that embrace individual responsibility, economic freedom, reducing poverty and providing opportunities for those willing to chase the American dream."{{Cite web |title=Joe and Kelly Craft |url=https://givingpledge.org/Pledger.aspx?id=183 |website=Giving Pledge}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2013-05-07/spanx-inventor-sara-blakely-donates-half-her-250-million-fortune|title=Spanx inventor Sara Blakely donates half her $250 million fortune|website=The World from PRX}}
Awards
Craft was inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame in 2007.{{Cite web|url=https://www.entrepreneurhof.com/joe-craft|title=Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame|website=www.entrepreneurhof.com}} In 2008, Craft was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Southwest Region energy, chemical, and mining category.{{Cite web|title=Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Finalists|url=https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo/2008/july/ernst-youngs-entrepreneur-of-the-year-finalists/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=D Magazine|date=June 11, 2008 |language=en}} In 2009, Craft was inducted into the University of Tulsa's Collins College of Business Hall of Fame.{{Cite web|date=2 March 2009|title=TU Hall of Fame Inducts Business Leaders|url=https://tulsaworld.com/archive/tu-hall-of-fame-inducts-business-leaders/article_3f208aff-fcc8-55a8-994a-e64510320415.html|access-date=2020-11-23|website=Tulsa World|language=en}} In 2010, he was inducted into the University of Kentucky College of Law Hall of Fame.{{Cite web|url=https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/awards-and-recognition/law-inducts-three-new-members-hall-fame|title=Law Inducts Three New Members Into Hall of Fame|date=November 23, 2015|website=UKNow}} In 2018, he was inducted into the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.{{Cite web|url=https://m.theinteriorjournal.com/2018/11/16/correll-joins-the-ranks-of-kentuckys-most-successful-entrepreneurs/|title=Correll joins the ranks of Kentucky's most successful entrepreneurs|date=November 16, 2018|website=The Interior Journal}}
See also
{{Portal|Biography}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.arlp.com/ Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.]
- [http://www.arh.org/Articles/hazard_arh_celebrates_completion_of_new_47_million_patient_tower.aspx Hazard ARH Celebrates Completion of new $47 million patient tower]
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Category:People from Hazard, Kentucky
Category:Businesspeople from Kentucky
Category:University of Kentucky alumni
Category:University of Kentucky College of Law alumni
Category:American billionaires
Category:Philanthropists from Kentucky