Work Bio & History - Whitehead, Jerry       

Whitehead’s Investments Inc. – DBA Uncle Joes’ Pawn Shops.

Family began in the industry in 1961. Mr. Whitehead began as a child in the industry working his first store operations in 1968. He grew up in the pawn business and has been involved to one degree or another for more than 35 years.

1978 – 1983 Vice President Operations – Whitehead’s Investments Inc. – DBA Uncle Joe’s Pawn Shops

Mr. Whitehead was principally involved in all aspects of the daily operations of the stores, including all employee programs and operational aspects of the operations. He was also instrumental in the growth of the Pawn Operations of the family business by growing the store counts and modernizing their existing operations.

1983 - 1986 Owner - Pacific Music and Traders - Maui Hawaii

Mr. Whitehead owned and operated an island based pawn type trading company and regional sound and lighting Production Company. Providing an island based type-trading environment along with a high-quality concert and convention type production services company.

1987 – 1992 Chief Operating Officer – Whitehead’s Investments Inc. – DBA Uncle Joe’s Pawn Shops

As the Operations Officer and upon his return from the islands, Whitehead began extensive implementation of information systems in their family store chain base. During this time, along with his brother and others they developed a very high-end approach to the consumer base. Offering extremely well lit, color-coded beautifully laid out floor plans and structural designs to enhance the overall beauty and feel of their stores.

Whitehead was instrumental in defining new market areas and establishing larger super-store type models in non-traditional markets. This exercise proved to be very successful as they created some of the strongest and best performing stores witnessed in the Pawn industry.

At different intervals during these phases of growth while exploring other Capitalization areas including an Initial Public Offering, Cash America’s founder Jack Daugherty reached out to inquire about acquiring their company. Late in 1992 they successfully sold their 12-store DFW based pawn chain - assets only to Cash America for a deal with leases that was valued at approximately 10 million dollars.

1993 – 1997 Chief Operating Officer Doc Holliday’s Pawnbrokers and Jewelers

As the Operations Officer for Doc’s in Austin Texas, Whitehead assisted the company’s development by successfully placing various debt and equity instruments to obtain growth capital. They started with 8 stores in one state in operation. By mid 1995 through strategic alliances and key acquisitions along with targeted start ups, Doc Holliday’s had grown their store base to over 50 stores doing business in 6 states. It was also the largest privately held pawn chain in the America’s at that time.

Mr. Whitehead was involved in all aspects of the operations and was instrumental in developing and defining their overall operational systems, philosophies, recruitment, team management and growth of the organization.

The company was also exploring the public market places during this time. By early 1996 Whitehead began the initial communications that later lead to Doc’s being acquired by Cash America in 1997. At that time they were the largest privately held chain in the America’s. That deal consisted of cash and equity with leases that totaled in at approximately $35 million dollars.

1997 – 2005 Chief Executive Officer Pawn Max Inc., Max Title Inc., Payday Max Inc. 

After putting the acquisition ball in motion for Doc Holliday’s by Cash America, Whitehead proceeded on to Florida. His investing group wanted to acquire pawnshops and open up auto title lending operations in the Florida market.

They successfully acquired several pawnshop operations and opened up 4 - auto title lending operations.

In 2000 and in 2003 Whitehead sold the pawnshop operations to PMC – Pawnshop Management Company out of Ft. Worth Texas and assisted them with several other key acquisitions in the Florida market.

During these projects in Florida along with prior working relationships and Board Participation with the National Pawnbrokers Association and numerous members thereof, Whitehead began to formulate the blue print for the Pawnshop Consulting Group in early 2000.

2003 – 2005 Consultant – Cash N’ Pawn International LTD.

In late December of 2003, Whitehead took a consulting role with CNP (Cash N Pawn) a 12-store chain based out of Minneapolis Minnesota doing business in 3 states. He provided various roles for the company that included internal audit needs, information system updates and upgrades and placed the Payday lending program as it existed in their operations online.

This included the extensive research and development of various products and services along with their training and procedural materials. Whitehead took on some problem stores and locations and successfully pushed their overall store performances to levels not witnessed previously by the organization.

2009 - Current - Island Elements

Currently PCG and Mr. Whitehead have partnered up with Island Elements out of Providencial in the Turks N Caicos Islands and have opened several new stores in a joint collaborative mission. Our first store was opened in March of 2009 in Providencial in the Turks N Caicos Islands, followed by our second location March of 2010 in Nassau Bahamas, followed by our 3rd store which opened July of 2010 in Freeport Bahamas. We will be rolling a string of stores out across the Carribean and in other countries that fit our overall business plan and general demographic profile.

2000 – Current – Pawnshop Consulting Group

Since the late 80’s, Whitehead has been working a large network of people and service providers through various state and national pawn associations and working professional relationships. This extensive network base has allowed for the development of the consulting group.

The group began its early formation in the late 90’s and formerly culminated in 2000. The group includes a number of highly recognized industry and financial professionals. Some of these include financial, operational, information systems specialists and others providing a wide array of systems and services. Over these years the group has been providing a wide range of consulting services and needs to a number of institutional types & investment bankers along with single and multi-store operators both private and public nationally and internationally in many different markets and countries on multiple levels.

To date the group and Mr. Whitehead have been responsible for the acquisition or sale of more than 200 + Pawnshops in the past 25 years and currently assist hundreds of clients in 28 countries and in some 25+ states in the United States.