Tom Garrison

Tom Garrison, the former president and CEO of American Freightways Inc., died at his home in Harrison, Ark., on Feb. 11 2018. He was 57. The cause of death was apparent heart failure, according to a family member. Garrison joined American Freightways (formerly Arkansas Freightways) in 1982 as treasurer and worked alongside his father and company founder, Sheridan Garrison, to create one of the largest regional less-than-truckload carriers in the United States over the next two decades. After American Freightways was purchased by FedEx Corp. in a deal valued at $1.2 billion in 2001, Tom Garrison took over operational responsibility for what became FedEx Freight East. American Freightways ranked No. 15 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of largest for-hire carriers when it was acquired by FedEx. When FedEx later merged the operations of American Freightways with Viking Freight and Watkins Motor Lines to create FedEx Freight in 2002, Garrison left the company. After a brief retirement, he started Garrison Financial Advisors in Fayetteville, Ark. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, Garrison was named Accountant of the Year in Industry for 2001 by the Sam M. Walton College of Business. Garrison also served for two years on the board of directors of Arkansas Trucking Association.