PROVIDENCE – James A. Black, longtime CEO and president of Rhode Island-based Moran Shipping Agencies Inc., has died after a brief illness, the company has announced.
Black, 72, who had lived in Texas since the 1970s, was born in Fall River and had been working for Moran since 1974, starting as a ships agent, freight forwarder and customs entry clerk, he told PBN in 2019.
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The company did not immediately provide information on interim leadership or the search for a new CEO. Black died on July 30.
Moran, which was established in Fall River by James F. Moran in 1937, is now the largest privately owned vessel agency in the U.S. with more than 20 offices serving 100 ports in North America, handling fishing vessels to ultra-large cargo ships. The company’s headquarters are located on Francis Street in Providence.
Black began working for the shipping company, which had been acquired by his older brother, F. Robert Black, and moved in 1975 to Houston to lead the company’s expansion to Texas.
Robert Black sold ownership of the company in 1986 to James and his other brothers, Michael and William, James Black told PBN in 2019. Several years later, the brothers split the company in two, creating the maritime agency and J.F. Moran Co., which is now a large trucking and logistics business in Smithfield.
James Black’s focus continued to be on Moran Shipping, and when his brother Michael retired in 2005, he led the company as CEO and president.
A company statement posted on LinkedIn announcing Black’s death described him as “more than our fearless leader who guided Moran through dramatic industry changes, though he was exactly that. He was also our friend.
“All those who knew him knew of Jim’s kindness, his compassion, and his commitment to the maritime industry,” the post said. “The positive impact that Jim made throughout his career is felt not only by those who worked with him but also by the entire maritime community.”
In recent years, Black emphasized adapting to technology’s impacts on the shipping industry, he told PBN in 2019.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.
