Michael Coles (businessman)

Last updated

Michael J. Coles is an American entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, and politician. Coles was the co-founder of Great American Cookie Company and former CEO of Caribou Coffee. Coles was the 1996 Democratic nominee for the house of representatives in the Sixth District of Georgia, and the 1998 Democratic nominee for U.S senate. In 1994 Kennesaw State University named its school of business the Coles College of Business.

Contents

Career

In 1977, with co-founder Arthur Karp, Coles opened the first Great American Cookie Company location at Perimeter Mall with an investment of $8,000. [1] [2] [3] From there, the company expanded and became a chain in the United States. In 1988, Coles sold the Great American Cookie company for $100 million. [4]

Coles ran as a Democrat for US Congress in 1996, against incumbent congressman Newt Gingrich. [5] [6] [7] The two opponents spent a total of $8.9 million dollars on their campaigns, with Gingrich emerging as the winner. [8]

In 1998, Coles ran for US Senate as a Democratic candidate. He defeated his opponent in the primary, [9] but lost the general election. [10] [11]

In 1999, after being appointed by Governor Roy Barnes, Coles became the chair of the Georgia Film, Video and Music Advisory Board. [12] He served as chairman for four years.

Coles joined Caribou Coffee as its CEO in 2003. [13] [14] During his tenure he oversaw an initial public offering of the company's stock. [15] He stepped down from the position in 2007 following the decline of the company's share price. [16]

Philanthropy

Coles joined Kennesaw State University's board of trustees in 1990. In 1994, after a donation from his Coles-Novak Family Foundation, the business school was renamed the Michael J. Coles School of Business (now College of Business). [17] [18]

Personal life

In 1977 Coles had a serious motorcycle accident. Told he would not walk again, he recovered doing cycling as physiotherapy. [19] [20]

Books

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 United States presidential election</span> 53rd quadrennial U.S. presidential election

The 1996 United States presidential election was the 53rd quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic President Bill Clinton defeated former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, the Republican nominee, and Ross Perot, the Reform Party nominee and 1992 independent presidential candidate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newt Gingrich</span> American politician and author (born 1943)

Newton Leroy Gingrich is an American politician and author who served as the 50th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U.S. representative for Georgia's 6th congressional district serving north Atlanta and nearby areas from 1979 until his resignation in 1999. In 2012, Gingrich unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for president of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candace Gingrich</span> American LGBT rights activist

Candace Gingrich is an American LGBT rights activist at the Human Rights Campaign. Candace is the half-sibling of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Isakson</span> American politician (1944–2021)

John Hardy Isakson was an American businessman and politician who served as a United States senator from Georgia from 2005 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the Georgia legislature and the United States House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac Collins</span> American politician (1944–2018)

Michael Allen "Mac" Collins was an American businessman and politician. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2005, representing Georgia's 8th congressional district. In 2004, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Jones (American actor and politician)</span> American actor, politician, playwright and essayist

Benjamin Lewis Jones is an American actor, politician, playwright, and essayist, best known for his role as Cooter Davenport in The Dukes of Hazzard. Jones also served for four years in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1989, to January 3, 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caribou Coffee</span> American coffee shop chain

Caribou Coffee Company is an American coffee company and coffeehouse chain. It was founded in Edina, Minnesota, in 1992. As of September 2023, the company operates over 750 locations worldwide. It is headquartered in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard N. Swett</span> American politician (born 1957)

Richard Nelson "Dick" Swett is an American politician and diplomat from the U.S. state of New Hampshire who served as the U.S. representative for New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district from 1991 to 1995. He also served as the U.S. Ambassador to Denmark from 1998 to 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Flynt</span> American politician

John James Flynt Jr. was an American Democratic Party politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for two congressional districts in Georgia from 1954 to 1979. Upon his retirement from the House, he was succeeded by future House Speaker Newt Gingrich, whom Flynt had narrowly defeated in the two previous elections.

Golden Rule Insurance Company was a provider of health insurance based in Indianapolis with operations in 40 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. It was acquired by UnitedHealth Group in November 2003.

American Solutions for Winning the Future was a 527 organization created by former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Newt Gingrich. The group first received national attention for its 2008 effort, "Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less", focused on the issue of offshore drilling. The organization closed in July 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Evans</span> American lawyer & diplomat (born 1958)

James Randolph Evans is an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Luxembourg from 2018 to 2021. He presented his credentials on June 19, 2018, to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. A member of the Republican Party from Georgia, he specializes in litigation, as well as professional, legal and government ethics. Evans is a partner at the global law firm Squire Patton Boggs.

<i>A Contract with the Earth</i> 2007 book by Newt Gingrich

A Contract with the Earth is a book by Newt Gingrich and Terry L. Maple, with a foreword by E. O. Wilson. Its title is derived from a 10-point "contract" the authors put forward in the book.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great American Cookies</span> North American gourmet cookie chain commonly found in shopping malls

Great American Cookie Co., doing business as Great American Cookies, is an American chain of independently owned and operated franchised stores that specialize in gourmet cookies, especially cookie cakes. It has over 290 stores in the U.S., particularly in the Southeast as well as Puerto Rico and Guam, most commonly located in malls. The company was founded in 1977 and has its headquarters in Atlanta. It is since 2010 a franchise brand in the portfolio of Global Franchise Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 United States Senate election in Georgia</span>

The 1998 United States Senate election in Georgia was held November 3, 1998. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell won a second term in office, becoming the first of his party to ever win reelection to the U.S. Senate from Georgia. Coverdell would remain in the Senate until his death on July 18, 2000.

Newt Gingrich has declared his position on many political issues through his public comments and legislative record, including as Speaker of the House. The political initiative with which he is most widely identified was the Contract With America, which outlined an economic and social agenda designed to improve the efficiency of government while reducing its burden on the American taxpayer. Passage of the Contract helped establish Gingrich's reputation as a public intellectual. His engagement of public issues has continued through to the present, in particular as the founder of American Solutions for Winning the Future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newt Gingrich 2012 presidential campaign</span> American political campaign

The 2012 presidential campaign of Newt Gingrich, former U.S. Representative from Georgia and Speaker of the House, began shortly following the 2010 midterm elections. He was politically active during the midterm elections, and helped several Tea Party-backed Republicans with his endorsements and fundraising abilities.

Center for Health Transformation (CHT) was a member and partner based professional services organization that focused on issues affecting the quality, cost, access and delivery of healthcare in the legislative and regulatory environment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in which multi-hospital healthcare organizations currently operate. CHT envisioned itself as a learning network, connecting with academic institutions such as Georgia State University and Kennesaw State University to create learning laboratories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1972 United States Senate elections in Georgia</span>

The 1972 United States Senate election in Georgia took place on November 7, 1972, as one of that year's United States Senate elections. It was held concurrently with the 1972 presidential election. This seat had opened up following the death of Richard B. Russell in 1971. Shortly thereafter, Governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter appointed David H. Gambrell to fill Russell's vacant seat. The Democratic Party nominee was Sam Nunn, a conservative Democrat and member of the Georgia House of Representatives, and the Republican Party nominated Fletcher Thompson, the Representative from the Atlanta-area 5th congressional district of Georgia. In the primary, Nunn emerged victorious from a crowded field of Democratic candidates, including Gambrell and former Georgia Governor Ernest Vandiver. Despite President Richard Nixon defeating George McGovern in Georgia in the presidential election on the same day, Nunn defeated Thompson in both the special election 52% to 47% and general election 54% to 46%, both of which appeared on the same ballot.

Christina Jeffrey is an American political scientist who briefly served as Historian of the United States House of Representatives.

References

  1. ↑ Brett, Jennifer. "'It's not complicated. It's cookies.' Wit and wisdom from Michael Coles". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  2. ↑ "Michael Coles shares advice for 'Taking on Goliath' – News". news.kennesaw.edu.
  3. ↑ Madigan, Kevin C. (November 22, 2018). Underdog Businessman Overcomes Obstacles.
  4. 1 2 Prescott, Virginia (January 24, 2019). "Great American Cookie Company Co-Founder Talks 'Time To Get Tough'". Georgia Public Broadcasting.
  5. ↑ "Meet the Anti-Newt". The New York Times. September 8, 1996.
  6. ↑ Shields, Mark (November 5, 1996). "The Making Of The Solid Northeast". The Washington Post.
  7. ↑ Schwinn, Elizabeth (October 21, 1996). "Campaign '96". San Francisco Chronicle.
  8. ↑ Garcia, Kenneth J. (April 27, 1996). "Gingrich Cranky and Others Doleful". San Francisco Chronicle.
  9. ↑ "2 Businessmen Win In Georgia Primaries". The New York Times. July 22, 1998.
  10. ↑ Sack, Kevin (November 12, 1998). "Front-runner for Gingrich Seat Emerges". The New York Times.
  11. ↑ "CNN/AllPolitics Election 98". CNN.
  12. ↑ Pallerino, Michael J. (January–February 2020). "Lights, Camera, Georgia". Georgia Hollywood Review Magazine. p. 14 – via FlippingBook.
  13. ↑ Schmeltzer, John (May 20, 2004). "Caribou grinds away at rumor". Chicago Tribune.
  14. ↑ "Caribou history". Star Tribune. December 18, 2012.
  15. ↑ Clark, Taylor (November 5, 2007). Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce, and Culture. Little, Brown. ISBN   978-0-316-02617-8.
  16. ↑ "Caribou Coffee CEO Michael Coles steps down". Minnesota Public Radio News. November 13, 2007.
  17. ↑ "About Our Benefactor". coles.kennesaw.edu. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Michael Coles Launches KSU Fund for Veterans". Atlanta Jewish Times. April 15, 2021.
  19. ↑ Cohen, Adam (July 8, 1996). "CAMPAIGN '96: NEWT GINGRICH'S COOKIE MONSTER". Time.
  20. ↑ Spaid, Elizabeth Levitan (September 25, 1996). "A Cookie Magnate Sets Out to Burn Gingrich". The Christian Science Monitor.
  21. ↑ Lipis, Allen H. (October 30, 2018). "Time to Get Tough: Michael Coles Gives Keys to Business Success". Atlanta Jewish Times.
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic Party nominee for United States Senator from Georgia (Class 3)
1998 		Succeeded by


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.