The Mount Pleasant couple donate over $2 million worth of classic cars to support Northwood University and The Northwood Idea.
Michael and Dianne Morey have pledged to purchase 35 cars from Mt. Pleasant’s automobile collection.
Northwood Chancellor Kent McDonald said, “I am very grateful to Michael and Diane for this very special gift. This gift will strengthen the Midland campus, create scholarship opportunities, and serve future students.” It will be used to build university funds for.”
McDonald pointed out that Molly’s family story is one of hard work to success. It’s the epitome of what Northwood strives to instill in its students and what our alumni demonstrate every day in their fields.
The Morey’s story dates back to 1983. At the time, they believed they could build a better wood chipper than anyone else. Mike quit his job and invested in a small workshop to build his Bandit, a Model 100 Brush, a 12-inch capacity disc-style chipper, with six employees and a meager operating budget.
In 1987, Bandit Industries was founded based on the success of Brush Bandit, and Dianne actively participated in the company.
Bandit designed and launched the world’s first self-propelled truck whole tree chipper in 1990 and continues to lead this industry segment. Bandit operates a network of over 180 dealer locations worldwide.
In 2018, the Morleys announced that they would sell 100% of the company to 462 employees in an employee stock ownership plan. This comes after the company received offers to sell two of his properties from private companies.
“Neither of them turned out to be right for Bandit, so we decided to sell them to a trusted employee,” Diane Morley told The Morning Sun in 2018.
The company currently has 725 employees.
Justin Marshall, chief development officer at Northwood University, said:
The Morley family will transfer ownership of the vehicle to Northwood University by the end of this calendar year. By June 30, 2023, Northwood University will liquidate the Mollie Collection in a no-reservation auction on his Mecum Auctions.
The Morey Collection hopes to be listed at Mecum’s Kissimmee auction on January 6th.
“Cars are a big part of our lives and each one tells a story,” the Morleys said in a statement. “The time has come for these cars to write a new chapter and support young men and women who want to work hard, create something for themselves, and make a positive impact in the communities they call home. It’s a special place full of amazing students and we’re happy to support their mission.”
Northwood University will have a 1958 Chevrolet Corvette on campus, so not all cars will be auctioned.
“We are very pleased to have this classic Corvette on campus as a reminder of Molly’s generosity and American innovation,” said Marshall. It supports our mission to develop future leaders of global advancement.”
Northwood University will use up to $1,000,000 in cash proceeds to enhance the campus experience and build on recent campus improvements made in May of this year.
The remaining proceeds will be used to build scholarships and endowments to support the free enterprise missions of Northwood University.
Details for the January 6 auction can be found online.