Meet the #1 Largest Landowner in All of Mississippi

Key Points

• The largest landowner in Mississippi claims land holdings in various other states, too.
• Mississippi’s largest landowner emphasizes diversification across his company’s holdings.
• The company owned by the largest landowner in Mississippi employs more than 2,000 people.

The Largest Landowner in Mississippi

The largest landowner in Mississippi is Gaylon Lawrence, Jr., who owns an incredible 180,000 acres. Lawrence, Jr. took over his father’s legacy by stepping in as CEO of the Lawrence Group, also called the Lawrence Family. Gaylon M. Lawrence – the father of Gaylon Lawrence, Jr. – was a successful businessman and farmer. He owned Airconditioning Distributors, which holds the title of the largest privately owned HVAC distributor in the world.

Over time, the Lawrence Family grew their holdings significantly. The group purchased land, farms, and banks to diversify their assets. Today, the Lawrence Family claims land holdings across several states, including Missouri, Arkansas, and Illinois. Additionally, the company’s manages businesses in various sectors. For example, the Lawrence Group’s businesses include vineyards, banks, citrus farms, and more.

The Lawrence Family Goals and Values

The Lawrence Family incorporates many goals and values into their business structure that allows them to increase their land holdings while also acting independently. The company has not issued an IPO, meaning that they are entirely privately owned. Additionally, hierarchy at the Lawrence Group does not flow from each sector or location to a corporate entity. Rather, Lawrence holdings and businesses act independently of one another, allowing for a unique management style that suits the needs of a particular context.

The Lawrence Family’s largest goal is to increase the value of their business from the inside. Some ways that Lawrence aims to achieve this is through acquisition and diversification. In sum, the group continuously works to generate a stable and sustainable income. Simultaneously, the Lawrence Family must adhere to its core values, which include partnership, quality, community, decentralization, autonomy, and generational wealth.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Jaimie Tuchman