Scott M. Niswonger

Scott M. Niswonger grew up in a small town in Northwestern Ohio. He came to Greeneville, Tennessee, as the pilot for the President of the Magnavox Consumer Electronics Company in 1968, and five years later started his own transportation business. He subsequently co-founded Landair Transport in 1981 with an initial investment of $2,000. In fact, Mr. Niswonger founded the first two companies ever to be taken public in Greene County’s history.

Today, Mr. Niswonger is the majority shareholder of Landair Transport, Inc., and also serves as chairman of Forward Air Corporation. The two companies have combined annual revenues of $400 million. These businesses provide high service level truckload operations and contract services to the air cargo industry and other time definite shippers. Publicly traded on the NASDAQ, Forward Air (FWRD) has been recognized the past five years by Forbes magazine as one of the "Top 200 Small Companies" in America and by Inc. 500 as one of “ America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies” three consecutive years prior to going public.

Mr. Niswonger is a graduate of aviation technology at Purdue University, received his bachelor of science in business administration from Tusculum College, and was awarded a doctorate of technology degree, also from Purdue. He is a graduate of the United Airlines Training Academy and a certificated Airline Transport Pilot, having flown an assortment of airplanes from J-3 Cubs to the Boeing 747. He currently enjoys flying his Gulfstream IV-SP for business and pleasure.

Mr. Niswonger is very active in community and civic affairs. He is an ordained elder in his church and has previously served in leadership for several organizations, including: chairman of the Greene County Partnership; founding board member of the Fund for Greene County; and founding director of the Junior Achievement in Greene County. In 1994, Junior Achievement recognized him as their worldwide recipient of the International Distinguished Graduate Award. In 1999, he was inducted into Junior Achievement’s Business Hall of Fame and he was chosen by Ernst & Young as the 1999 Entrepreneur of the Year for the southeastern United States. On the state level, Mr. Niswonger was appointed vice-chair of the Tennessee Board for Economic Growth and Chairman of the Building and Finance Committee for the State of Tennessee by then Governor Don Sundquist.

Mr. Niswonger continues his active support of regional economic development. He currently serves as a Trustee at Tusculum College and on their Executive Committee; on Purdue University’s Dean’s Executive Council for the School of Technology; and is a board member and honorary alumnus of East Tennessee State University.

He is especially proud of The Niswonger Foundation that he established in 2001 to create opportunities for individual and regional growth through educational programs, scholarships, and other charitable activities. This is the first educational operating foundation to be formed in Greene County.