THURSDAY October 24, 2019
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Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
How Earl Benton turned a struggling Jacksonville distribution company into Champion Brands.
City Council looking for legal help
SEIZING OPPORTUNITY Daily Record Daily Record Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
THE
JACKSONVILLE
Legislation is approved that sets aside $1.85M for special legal counsel in the potential JEA sale. BY MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
JACKSONVILLE
Photo by Dede Smith
After serving in the Air Force and working briefly at Union Carbide, Earl Benton started his career in the beer business with Miller Brewing Co. in 1978. In 1984, he moved to Jacksonville to buy Duval Beverage Distributors and renamed it Champion Brands Inc. BY KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
O
n one night in February 1976, Earl Benton held the keys to life as the world knew it. At 180 feet down a missile silo in Little Rock, Arkansas, the U.S. Air Force captain, at the age of 25, was awaiting instructions. “We were teetering on the brink of war,” recalls Benton, 68. “The keys were out of the safe,” he said. “We had top-secret authenticated messages and we were sitting there ready to go.”
Deep thinking filled the time. “Bad things have to be happening in other parts of the world. We wondered what’s going on. You wonder if you’ll ever see the sun shine again.” The crew waited. “Our keys were inserted and we awaited the launch codes for around 20 minutes before we were ordered to return them to the safe,” he said. “I still have nightmares about that night.” The crews on alert earned two weeks off. Some didn’t return to that program. Benton did. “Oh yeah,” he said. “I went back.”
FROM THE SILO TO A CAREER
Benton completed his four years in the Air Force and returned to the private sector, a path that led him to buy a beer distributorship in Jacksonville and grow it as Champion Brands Inc. He’s president and CEO. Benton was born and raised in rural North Carolina on a tobacco farm. “I spent 22 wonderful summers there. And I knew one thing I didn’t want to be when I grew up was a tobacco farmer.” He earned an Air Force ROTC scholarship in high school and spent four years SEE BENTON, PAGE 6
Attorneys and law firms interested in advising the Jacksonville City Council in a possible JEA sale have until Friday to submit a resume, according to council President Scott Wilson. Council approved a bill Tuesday night introduced by Council member Garrett Dennis that sets aside $1.85 million to hire special legal counsel for its role in the potential sale of the city-owned utility. In an interview before Tuesday’s Council meeting, Wilson said the city has not issued a request for proposals for outside legal services. He said he will work with the city General Counsel Jason Gabriel to narrow the list of applicants before putting names and credentials before Council for consideration. The Office of General Counsel released a scope of services that will be specified in an engagement letter with any special counsel. That scope includes: n Legal impact of the potential privatization of public utilities. n Engagement of third-party consultants and experts to assist Council in its oversight function with regard to the potential privatization process. n Attendance at public meetings. Wilson expects legislation approving the hire to move through in less than one Council cycle and he might file it as an “in-and-out emergency,” Wilson said. MMENDENHALL@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MIMENDENHALL (904) 356-2466
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VOLUME 106, NO. 240 • TWO SECTIONS