John J. McMahon, Jr. of Birmingham, has been the chairman of two companies in his career, both of which received global recognition for their performances.
McMahon, the son of John J. McMahon and Alma Gardner Bilbro McMahon, is a native of Birmingham. He earned an undergraduate degree from Birmingham-Southern College in 1965 and a law degree from The University of Alabama School of Law in 1968.
For 25 years McMahon worked for McWane, Inc. where he was president and chairman of the board. McWane operates 25 manufacturing plants, including 13 iron foundries, and produces iron pipes, valves, and fittings used to move water across North America. The company also produces other products such as propane tanks, fire hydrants, and fire suppression systems.
During his career at McWane, McMahon held numerous positions and was responsible for negotiating more than 25 acquisitions ranging from publicly held companies to small privately held companies. Under McMahon’s leadership, McWane played a significant role in the creation of the McWane Center Science Museum in Birmingham.
In 1999, McMahon founded Ligon Industries, LLC, a privately held manufacturing company with subsidiaries that produce a wide range of industrial products such as hydraulic cylinders, aluminum castings, and aluminum components for water and wastewater treatment facilities.
McMahon was a key figure in the creation of the Birmingham Airport Authority and served as chairman of the committee that supervised the renovation of the airport terminal, which led to an increase in air transportation service.
McMahon also was a pivotal figure in the establishment of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System and served as the organization’s first chairman of the board of directors.
His civic and business activities are far-ranging. He is a director of the National Bank of Commerce, Protective Life Insurance Company, ProAssurance, and Cooper/T. Smith Corporation.
He currently serves as a trustee of Birmingham-Southern College, the Hugh Kaul Foundation, and the Board of Trustees for The University of Alabama where he served three terms as president pro tempore and has chaired numerous standing committees including athletics, compensation, executive, finance, and investments. He is the Sixth Congressional District representative on the UA System Board.
Past activities include serving as director of the Alabama National Bancorporation, Birmingham Police Foundation, Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital, John H. Harland Company, and Opera Birmingham. He served as chairman of the United Way of Birmingham’s Alexis de Tocqueville Society. He is a member of the Alabama Academy of Honor and Rotary Club of Birmingham.
He and his wife Betty Thurman McMahon have three sons, John J. McMahon III, Joel W. McMahon, and David A. McMahon.
