John W. Steiner, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and member of the Atlas family, passed away on September 16, 2015 at the age of 73.
John was Chairman Emeritus of the Ace World Wide Group of Companies. He began working full-time in 1965 at Ace World-Wide Moving & Storage, a family-owned Atlas agency headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, which was founded in 1948 by his father, John U. Steiner. He played an integral role in the moving and storage industry for more than 50 years, creating a stronger, more efficient business model for Ace World Wide, expanded operations nationwide, and diversified into associated business ventures. Beginning in 1981, John began serving as a member of the Atlas World Group Board of Directors. John participated in milestone decisions that impacted the van line and its entire agency network. Most notably, during the 1980s John was a board authority for the public offering of Atlas and a leader in bringing the company back to agent control.
“John was a good businessman and an even better person. His amusing stories and jokes will be missed by all of us,” reflected Glen Dunkerson, Chairman & CEO of Atlas. “I knew John for over 37 years and in that time recognized him for his enjoyable personality and keen ability to take advantage of opportunities presented to Ace World Wide or Atlas Van Lines.”
Dedicated to fighting for his passions and staying true to the industry he knew best, John was an outstanding leader who strove to exceed expectations in both the most basic and most complicated tasks.
“John was instrumental in the creation of voluntary meetings that allow our Professional Van Operators (PVO’s) to network together and meet with Atlas management on concerning issues. These meetings continue to be an excellent means for Atlas to stay close to our most valuable resource, our PVO’s,” Glen added.
"He brought the best out in people. He made people very relaxed and everyone had a good time when John was around. Even in retirement, he’d always want to know how the business was doing."
- David Coyne, VP Operations, Ace World-Wide (0024)
