Moishe Mana Explained

Moishe Mana
Birth Date:[1]
Birth Place:Tel Aviv, Israel
Nationality:American
Education:Tel Aviv University (dropped out)
Occupation:businessman, developer
Known For:founder of Moishe's Moving Systems, GRM Information Management, developer of Mana Contemporary

Moishe Mana (born 1956) is an American billionaire businessman and real estate developer.[2] Originally from Israel, Mana emigrated to the US in 1983, where he founded his first business, Moishe's Moving Systems.[1] He started further businesses including: GRM Document Management, the country's third largest document storage business;[2] Milk Studios, a media and entertainment conglomerate; and Mana Contemporary, an art center.

Early life

Moishe grew up in the Hatikva neighborhood of Tel Aviv, the second of five children in a poor family.[3] His parents were Iraqi-born immigrants who worked in various businesses, including real estate.[3] After serving as an intelligence officer in the IDF,[4] he studied law at Tel Aviv University for a year before leaving to pursue business in the private sector.[3] [4]

Career

New York

Moishe moved to New York City in 1983 with little money.[5] [3] [4] He slept on park benches, and his first job was as a dishwasher in Greenwich Village.[6] He transitioned into the construction industry, where a short-on-cash employer allowed him the use of the company van at night in lieu of wages.[6] In a widely reported NYC "Rags to Riches" story, Moishe saved enough money to buy his own van.[5] [1] Realizing that anyone with a van and a strong back could start a moving company in 1980s New York, Moishe quickly began hiring other Israeli immigrants, and was able to swiftly undercut his competition.[5] Within six years his company was one of the city's top residential movers.[7] It eventually evolved into Moishe's Moving Logistics.

Moishe's Moving Logistics

By the late 1980s Moishe's Moving Logistics had become the largest moving company in the tri-state area. As the company grew, Moishe began purchasing warehouse space and offering storage solutions. By 1998, he had amassed more than 1.5 million square feet of commercial real estate.[8] Today, Moishe owns a conglomerate of fifteen companies including Moishe's Guarantee Asset Management,[9] Mana Fine Arts, Moishe's Guarantee Wine Storage,[10] GRM Information Management,[11] Moishe's Self Storage, and MANA Common (New Jersey, Chicago, Wynwood, and Downtown Miami).

GRM Information Management

Mana launched GRM Information Management in 1986, and it is now the third largest document and digital storage company in the US, with additional branches in China and Latin America.[11] [12] It was the first document storage company to utilize barcodes in its warehouses.[13] In 2011, the former CEO of Emptoris, Avner Schneur, took charge of GRM.[12]

MILK Studios

In 1995, Mana began to focus on the Meatpacking District of New York City, which was then an underdeveloped part of Manhattan.[1] Fashion entrepreneur Mazdack Rassi convinced him to convert one of his mini storage facilities into an event and office space, and thus MILK Studios was born.[14]

Mana opened MILK Studios Los Angeles, and today the MILK Group includes a number of additional companies: MILK Agency,[15] a brand development outfit; Velem,[16] a post production studio; Milk Makeup;[17] and House Casting.[18] The NYC location also operates MILK Gallery, an art space.[3]

MANA Contemporary

By the late 2000s Mana had become a contemporary art collector. He questioned how art was collected, stored, and managed in cloistered facilities.[19]

In 2009, Mana and his long-time business partner Eugene Lemay began assembling over two million square feet of empty warehouses in Jersey City, New Jersey for the purposes of disrupting the art storage market.[20] [21] He then converted this assemblage into an arts community called Mana Contemporary.[22] With services, spaces, and programming for artists, collectors, curators, performers, students and community, MANA Contemporary includes artist studios, living space, creative, photography, fashion, exhibition spaces, and storage.[23]

MANA Contemporary Chicago

Mana set his sights on developing an arts community in the Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen. MANA Contemporary Chicago houses dozens of artists studios, exhibition spaces, classrooms, a central cafe, a library, and more. The Pilsen cultural complex is composed of the 450,000 square foot building plus additional land marked for residential and commercial development.[24]

MANA Wynwood

In 2009, Moishe Mana took on the challenge of transforming Miami from a tourist destination into a vibrant, diversified city with art, fashion, technology, and a global trading hub that connects South America, the Far East, and North America.[25] [26]

Mana began laying the groundwork for a massive business and art complex in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, Florida by purchasing acres and acres of underused warehouses and vacant lots.[27] Among his purchases were a former free trade zone.[28] The assemblage, MANA Wynwood,[29] accommodates large scale productions from feature films and television shows to events and trade shows, doubling as a convention center or concert venue, hosting art openings, fashion shows, block parties, and the monthly ritual that has become a cultural touchstone in the area: the Wynwood Art Walk.[30] As Mana's presence in the area helped shape an artistic renaissance, the neighborhood has rapidly changed, evolving into a hyper-Instagrammable hipster mecca dotted with street murals [31] and boutique businesses.[32]

Mana has gotten approval from the city to start building a ten million square foot hub that will facilitate all trade between the Far East, South America, and North America.[33] [34] Named the China-Latin America Trade Hub, the facility is designed to service companies involved in that trade stream. The broader development project includes facilities that will serve creative industries such as fashion, technology, and entertainment. The complex is designed to have over three million square feet of showrooms and future corporate global headquarters in one neighborhood. The complex will also host banking, agriculture, global manufacturers, and other diversified industries, all of which will be backed by digital platforms. Mana's ultimate goal is to develop Miami into a mini Hong Kong due to its location and its international fabric.[35] It is estimated that building the project would create 14,850 non-recurring jobs. Once it's completed, MANA Wynwood would create more than 19,400 direct and indirect jobs.[36] [37]

MANA Common Project - Flagler District

Moishe Mana is pursuing a second project in Miami, the MANA Common Project, which will be located in the newly created Flagler District of Downtown Miami. This development will consist of over 45 assembled buildings spanning four streets, all of which he has purchased between 2013 and the present.[38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51] [52] [27] [53]

Taking advantage of Miami's unique zoning laws which allow anyone who owns more than nine contiguous acres of property to apply for a special zoning district, Mana's current plan is to renovate the existing building and create a collaborative community where residents can live, work, and play in over 5,000 micro-units, and the community can come together in collaborative working spaces. The strategy is in furtherance of his belief that investing in people's talents and passion is infinitely more rewarding than being a mere landlord, leading him to invest in numerous startups in multiple industries.[54] [55] [56] [57] [58] [59] [60] [61] [62] [63] [64] [65] The plan also represents an addition of sorely needed middle income housing for a city suffering from a housing crisis.[66]

MANA Contemporary Miami

Based in the historic 777 International Mall in Downtown Miami, Contemporary Miami is a growing arts center that unites artist studios, exhibition spaces, and programming to facilitate conversation and collaboration among its creative community. Established in 2017, MANA Contemporary Miami is primarily focused on connecting with Miami-based artists and organizations, with the idea of further creating new avenues for conversation and opportunities, ultimately serving as an ongoing platform to engage Miami arts and culture in dynamic and sustainable ways. The center has most recently hosted a series of pop-up spaces and studios for local artists.[67]

Political activism and philanthropy

Mana has vocally opposed Donald Trump.[68] During Trump's campaign for the office of the presidency, Mana offered to donate first one million, then two million dollars to the charity of Trump's choice in exchange for the presidential candidate making his tax returns public.[69] [70] [71] [72]

The September before Trump's election, a naked statue of him appeared atop one of Mana's Wynwood offices.[73] [74] [75] [76] The statue was subsequently stolen and returned, albeit headless.[77] [78] [79] [80] [81] [82] [83] [84]

Mana also commissioned a large mural of then-candidate Trump which luridly depicted the developer-turned-politician as The Joker from The Dark Knight.[85] The mural was modified after the election by the original artists to remove Trump's likeness.[86]

Mana donated $10 million to Florida International University's CARTA (College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts) Program.[87] The gift is $2.5 million in cash and an in-kind donation of 15,000 square feet of studio and classroom space at MANA Wynwood.[88]

Notes and References

  1. News: . This Billionaire Started Out as a Man With a Van. Bloomberg.com . 5 October 2016. 11 September 2017. www.bloomberg.com.
  2. News: . 2016-10-10 . Moishe Mana Is Now A Billionaire, Thanks To Miami Property Boom . 2018-07-20 . The Next Miami . en-US.
  3. News: From Tel Aviv to New Jersey: Moishe Mana, the Israeli Who Made a Fortune With His Moving Empire, Wants to Build a New Tribeca in Jersey City. 29 June 2013. 11 September 2017. Haaretz.
  4. News: Manamania. Bojnansky. Erik. December 2015. www.biscaynetimes.com. 11 September 2017.
  5. Book: Goldberg, Jeffrey. All The Wrong Moves. 1993-06-07. New York Magazine. New York Media, LLC. en.
  6. News: About New York; Moishe's Rise: From Sneakers To Moving Vans. Jaynes. Gregory. 1988-02-24. The New York Times. 2017-07-20. en. 0362-4331.
  7. News: WHAT'S NEW IN MOVING AND STORAGE; Searching for Ways to Muscle Out the Competition. Freitag. Michael. 1988-04-02. The New York Times. 2018-07-12. en.
  8. News: Commercial Real Estate; From Its Cookies Glory To Warehouse to Offices. Rothstein. Mervyn. 1998-04-08. The New York Times. 2018-07-12. en.
  9. Web site: About Us - GAM Inventory Management. www.gaminventorymanagement.com. 1 August 2018.
  10. Web site: About Us - GAM Inventory Management. www.guaranteewinestorage.com. 11 September 2017.
  11. News: About Us. 2017-01-12. GRM Document Management. 2017-07-20.
  12. News: How GRM Went From Storing Boxes To Building A Tech Business That's Winning In China. Adams. Susan. 2017-09-13. Forbes. 2018-07-12. en.
  13. News: From a Moving Van to an Arts Complex. Kozinn. Allan. 2013-05-16. The New York Times. 2018-07-12. en.
  14. News: Detrick. Ben. 2012-08-08. A Rebel's Cause: Fortifying the Fashion Flock. New York Times. 2018-07-19.
  15. Web site: MILK Agency. MILK Agency. en. 2018-08-01.
  16. Web site: Velem - Post Production - Film - Print - Retouch - Edit. Velem. en. 2018-08-01.
  17. Web site: Milk Makeup - Live Your Look. Milk Makeup. en. 2018-08-01.
  18. Web site: Projects. House Casting. en. 2018-08-01.
  19. News: Moving Magnate Is the Impresario Behind Mana Contemporary. Bob. Morris. 2014-07-20. New York Times. 2017-09-11. NYTimes.com.
  20. News: He Built It, They Came—Now Eugene Lemay Plans to Spread Mana Contemporary across the Atlantic. Kedmey. Karen. 20 May 2015. artsy.net. 11 September 2017.
  21. News: In Conversation: Eugene Lemay with Phong Bui. Bui. Phong. 2017-02-01. The Brooklyn Rail. 2018-07-20.
  22. News: Jersey City: A Flower Blossoming as a New Colossus. La Gorce. Tammy. 2014-11-22. New York Times. 2018-07-18. NYTimes.com.
  23. News: Mana for the people. Wright. E. Assata. 2011-10-11. Hudson Reporter. 2018-07-20.
  24. Web site: Mana Contemporary Chicago. 2018-07-14.
  25. News: This one square mile of Downtown Miami saw at least $585M in investment from NYC. 9 March 2016. therealdeal.com. 11 September 2017.
  26. News: Mana Wynwood Could Become Huge Latin American-Asian Financial Center. Jerry. Iannelli. 2017-04-11. Miami New Times. 11 September 2017.
  27. News: Is Moishe Mana a modern-day Henry Flagler?. Kallergis. Katherine. 2015-11-01. The Real Deal (South Florida). 11 September 2017.
  28. News: Dahlberg. Nancy. 2016-10-04. Record price for Wynwood property could bring retail and park. Miami Herald. 2018-07-19.
  29. Web site: Developer Moishe Mana Moves Forward on Massive Complex in Wynwood. Kyle. Munzenrieder. 10 November 2015. miaminewtimes.com. 11 September 2017.
  30. Web site: Art Walk - Wynwood Business Improvement District. Wynwood Business Improvement District. 2018-07-30.
  31. News: Edward. Jasmine. 2017-10-11. Give Love. PKULTRA (US). 2017-07-30.
  32. News: Smart. Alastair. 2017-10-11. Welcome to America's most Instagrammable city. Telegraph (UK). 2018-07-30.
  33. News: . 2015-11-12. Mana Submits Special Area Plan For 30 Acres In Wynwood. The Next Miami. 2018-07-19.
  34. News: Prigeon. Jermell. 2017-04-17. Vision to Transform Miami's Wynwood into International Hub Moves Forward. NBC 6 Miami. 2018-07-19.
  35. News: Cordle. Ina. 2017-09-21. The Closing: Moishe Mana. The Real Deal. 2018-07-19.
  36. News: Bandell. Brian. 2015-12-14. New details from Moishe Mana's 9.7M-square-foot project in Wynwood. South Florida Business Journal. 2018-07-19.
  37. Web site: Study: Mana Wynwood Plan Would Generate 30,000-Plus Jobs. Josh. Baumgard. 2015-12-15. Curbed Miami. 2017-09-11.
  38. News: . 2014-08-21. Moishe Mana Assembles More Property On Flagler Street. The Next Miami. 2018-07-21.
  39. News: Kallergis. Katherine. 2015-01-08. Moishe Mana adds to downtown Miami portfolio for $7.6M. The Real Deal (South Florida). 2018-07-21.
  40. News: . 2015-01-20. Mana Says Flagler Street To Become Next Hot Spot, Buys More Property. The Next Miami. 2018-07-21.
  41. News: Kallergis. Katherine. 2015-06-22. Moishe Mana adds to his downtown Miami Monopoly board. The Next Miami. 2018-07-21.
  42. News: . 2015-02-24. Mana Buys More Flagler Street Property, Now Controls 4½ Acres In The Area. The Next Miami. 2018-07-21.
  43. News: Cordle. Ina. 2015-03-09. Moishe Mana keeps buying downtown Miami properties. The Real Deal (South Florida). 2018-07-21.
  44. News: . 2015-03-09. Moishe Mana Spends Another $7.8 Million On Downtown Property. The Next Miami. 2018-07-21.
  45. News: . 2015-04-13. Photos: Moishe Mana's Team Working On Plans For Flagler Street, Wynwood. The Next Miami. 2018-07-21.
  46. News: Bandell. Brian. 2015-06-23. Israeli developer Mana adds to downtown Miami holdings with $4.5M deal. South Florida Business Journal. 2018-07-21.
  47. News: Bandell. Brian. 2015-07-02. Israeli investor Mana's $32M deal is latest in downtown Miami buying spree. South Florida Business Journal. 2018-07-21.
  48. News: Kallergis. Katherine. 2015-07-02. More for Moishe Mana: another $32M in downtown Miami. The Real Deal (South Florida). 2018-07-21.
  49. News: Kallergis. Katherine. 2015-08-07. Moishe Mana pays $604 psf for downtown Miami property. The Real Deal (South Florida). 2018-07-21.
  50. News: Bandell. Brian. 2015-08-10. Moishe Mana bags another building in downtown Miami for big plan. South Florida Business Journal. 2018-07-21.
  51. News: Kallergis. Katherine. 2015-10-05. Mana nears completion of Flagler assemblage. The Real Deal (South Florida). 2018-07-21.
  52. News: Bandell. Brian. 2015-10-07. Developer Moishe Mana buys trio of downtown Miami properties for $8.2 million. South Florida Business Journal. 2018-07-21.
  53. News: Friedman. Robyn A.. 2015-08-25. In Miami's Flagler Street Area, Investors Pay High Prices for Low-Rent Properties. Wall Street Journal. 2018-07-21.
  54. News: Kallergis. Katherine. 2016-01-21. Take a look at the future of downtown Miami's Flagler Street. The Real Deal (South Florida). 2018-07-21.
  55. News: Madigan. Nick. 2016-05-10. Miami Emerges From Gloom Into Residential and Commercial Sunlight. New York Times. 2018-07-21.
  56. News: Bandell. Brian. 2016-07-21. Architect crafts micro unit tower with no parking. South Florida Business Journal. 2018-07-21.
  57. News: Viglucci. Andres. 2016-07-22. Will tiny apartments without parking solve Miami's rent crunch?. Miami Herald. 2018-07-21.
  58. News: Viglucci. Andres. 2016-07-25. Miami design board OKs micro-living tower, new Worldcenter blueprint. Miami Herald. 2018-07-21.
  59. News: . 2016-07-25. Units At 49-Story Mana Tower Will Be Micro-Sized. The Next Miami. 2018-07-21.
  60. News: Kallergis. Katherine. 2016-07-26. Moving forward: new retail plans for Miami Worldcenter, Moishe Mana's apartment tower. The Real Deal (South Florida). 2018-07-21.
  61. News: Martin. Olivia. 2016-08-08. Downtown Miami to get micro-living apartment tower. The Architect's Newspaper. 2018-07-21.
  62. News: Here's how to fix South Florida's mid-market housing crunch. Nehamas. Nicholas. 2017-02-10. Miami Herald. 2018-07-20. en.
  63. News: . 2018-04-05. Moishe Mana's Plan For A 'Curbless,' Pedestrian-Friendly Flagler Street. The Next Miami. 2018-07-21.
  64. News: . 2018-04-10. More Details On Mana's Plan For A Curbless Flagler Street. The Next Miami. 2018-07-21.
  65. News: Rodriguez. Rene. 2018-04-23. How small can you go? These new Miami apartments want you to downsize and live large. Miami Herald. 2018-07-21.
  66. Web site: Private video on Vimeo. vimeo.com. 11 September 2017.
  67. News: Tracy. Liz. 2018-04-10. Dale Zine Offers DIY Inspiration at Its Pop-Up Zine Store. Miami New Times. 2018-07-17.
  68. News: Bykowicz. Julie. 2016-07-27. Democratic donors rip Trump for failure to share tax returns. Associated Press. 2018-07-19.
  69. News: Rachal. Maria. 2016-07-26. Businessman offers $1M to charity for Trump tax returns. The Hill. 2018-07-18.
  70. News: Stewart-Muniz. Sean. 2016-07-26. Moishe Mana says he'll give $1M to charity if Trump reveals his tax returns. The Real Deal (South Florida). 2018-07-18.
  71. News: Iannelli. Jerry. 2016-07-27. Miami Developer Moishe Mana Will Donate $1 Million if Donald Trump Releases His Tax Returns. Miami New Times. 2018-07-18.
  72. News: Kallergis. Katherine. 2016-08-03. Moishe Mana ups his offer: $2M to charity for Donald Trump's tax returns. The Real Deal (South Florida). 2018-07-18.
  73. News: Harris. Alex. 2016-09-14. Naked Donald Trump statue gets short exposure in Wynwood. Miami Herald. 2018-07-20.
  74. News: LaVelle. Ciara. 2016-09-14. A Naked Trump Statue Has Appeared in Wynwood UPDATED. Miami New Times. 2018-07-20.
  75. News: Stewart-Muniz. Sean. 2016-09-14. Moishe Mana behind naked Trump statue now erect in Wynwood. The Real Deal (South Florida). 2018-07-20.
  76. News: Tavss. Jeff. Forney. Terrell. 2016-09-14. Naked Trump statue makes surprise Miami appearance. WPLG Local 10 News Miami. 2018-07-20.
  77. News: DiPrato. Alex. Lopez-Alvar. Nicole. 2016-09-14. Giant naked Donald Trump statue resurfaces in Wynwood after being removed. WSVN 7 News Miami. 2018-07-20.
  78. News: . 2016-09-22. Naked Donald Trump statue stolen from Wynwood. Mianu Herald. 2018-07-20.
  79. News: LaVelle. Ciara. 2016-09-22. Wynwood's Naked Trump Statue Was Stolen Last Night. Miami New Times. 2018-07-20.
  80. News: Stewart-Muniz. Sean. 2016-09-22. Mana's naked Trump statue in Wynwood stolen overnight. The Real Deal (South Florida). 2018-07-20.
  81. News: Rabin. Charles. Hsieh. Cresonia. 2016-09-23. Naked Trump statue arrives at Miami PD — minus a few body parts. Miami Herald. 2018-07-20.
  82. News: NBC 6. 2016-09-23. Man Charged in Theft of Naked Statue of Donald Trump From Wynwood. NBC 6 Miami. 2018-07-20.
  83. News: Bush. Katrina. Morris. Walter. 2016-09-23. Suspect arrested for stealing naked Trump statue from Wynwood. WSVN 7 News Miami. 2018-07-20.
  84. News: Seemuth. Mike. 2016-09-25. Miami's naked Trump statue recovered with its head cut off. The Real Deal (South Florida). 2018-07-20.
  85. News: Harris. Sofie. 2016-10-05. Bushwick Collective Mural Is Wynwood's Latest Anti-Trump Artwork. Miami New Times. 2018-07-19.
  86. News: Israeli moving mogul's big plans to turn New Jersey into art mecca. 2021-05-06. Haaretz. en.
  87. News: Bandell. Brian. 2016-12-01. Moishe Mana finalizes $10M gift to bring FIU arts program to Wynwood. South Florida Business Journal. 2018-07-18.
  88. News: Dahlberg. Nancy. 2016-12-02. $10 million gift from Moishe Mana to fund new arts home for FIU. Miami Herald. 2018-07-19.

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