Jeg Coughlin Sr.

As far as as Jeg Coughlin Sr. is concerned, the heavy lifting is done. For the last 46 years, the patriarch of the Coughlin family, Hall of Fame racer, and founder of Jegs Mail Order successfully balanced his multiple roles as a father, a businessman, and a racer. He’s been richly rewarded in business and in life with a multi-million dollar business that bears his name, and four sons who share his passion for racing and the high performance automobiles.

The aftermarket parts giant known as Jegs Mail Order began humbly enough in 1960 as Jegs Automotive, a small auto repair and parts business housed in a rented $400 per month, 4,000-square foot garage in downtown Columbus, Ohio.

As Jegs Automotive, Inc. approaches its 50th anniversary, the company has become a giant in its industry with three retail stores, four call centers and distribution outlet which delivers over $200 million worth of products to automobile enthusiasts all over the world each year. Much of the company’s success can be directly traced to Jegs entrepreneurial prowess.

While building the company, and raising his sons, Troy, John, Mike and Jeg Jr., the elder Coughlin also found time to pursue his passion for speed and competition. His credentials include winning the 1980 NHRA Division 3 Top Fuel championship and 11 major event wins in Top Fuel, Pro Comp, and Super Eliminator.

Like many successful entrepreneurs, Jeg Sr. possesses the uncanny ability to take the most complex challenges, and break them into small manageable opportunities. Quiet but firm; he managed with a calm quality that offered reassurance to those around him. Many of those traits were passed on to his sons, who now run the day-to-day operations at Jegs Mail Order and have helped guide the company through many years of unprecedented growth.
Jeg Sr’s accomplishments have not gone unnoticed by his peers. He is a member of the NHRA North Central Division Hall of Fame as well as the Hot Rod Magazine Hall of Fame. In 2002, he was presented with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award and the prestigious Car Craft Magazine “Ollie Award” for lifetime achievement. In February, 2006, Coughlin received another honor when he was inducted into the Olentangy Business Hall of Fame in Powell, Ohio.

Now, retired from the day-to-day operations at Jegs Mail Order, Jeg Sr., is finally taking time to enjoy the fruits of his labor. He remains a mentor and a positive role model for his sons who have all followed in his footsteps and become successful businessmen, racers, and family men and his eight grandchildren, some of whom are preparing to embark on their own drag racing careers.