Jim Mulligan was born in New York and grew up in New England. He began his professional career as a meteorologist in the power generation industry. In the 1980s, Jim bought a small lawnmower dealership in North Carolina and within the first year became one of the top ten Honda Power Equipment dealers in the United States. Jim added motorcycles and other recreational items to the store’s inventory. Over the next several years he increased sales six fold. Jim is an avid sailor. He moved to Florida after selling his North Carolina business to take advantage of the area’s great sailing. He has cruised the waters of Charlotte Harbor and has found excellent anchorages near Captiva, Pine Island and Gasparilla Island.