When James Jannetides walked into his room in Abbott Hall at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1984, he saw four students, one tight space and an opportunity.
“I thought I could do better than this prison furniture,” he said.
That moment sparked what would become University Loft Co., a national furniture company that began with hand-built lofts rented to fellow Salukis. Decades later, Jannetides remains deeply connected to SIU not only as a successful alumnus, but as a donor committed to strengthening the university that shaped him.
An entrepreneurial spirit rooted in family
Long before he arrived in Carbondale, Jannetides grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, in a Greek family where business ownership was the norm.
His grandfather, Jordan Jannetides, worked as a chef before owning the Capital Tavern restaurant. His father, Nick Jannetides, owned two Baskin-Robbins stores and introduced a Baskin-Robbins mobile cart that still appears at the Indiana State Fair.
Jannetides attended Cathedral High School, where his entrepreneurial instincts were already evident. As a child, he sold candy out of his locker. As a teenager, he helped at his father’s ice cream shops, walking to the end of long lines to sell ice cream bars to customers who did not want to wait. In high school, he founded J Squared Inc., operating parking lots and charging $8 per car.
“I was chasing the dollar, that’s for sure,” he said. “My father was a businessman, and his father was an immigrant who started with nothing.”
By the time he enrolled at SIU, he already understood risk, reinvestment and hustle.
A business built from coursework and courage
At SIU, Jannetides did more than build a product. He built a plan.
In the College of Business and Analytics, he connected with marketing professor Dr. John Fraedrich, who encouraged him to approach the loft idea with discipline by writing a business plan, conducting a market survey and understanding demand before cutting lumber.
Jannetides stood outside classrooms in Lawson Hall, surveying hundreds of students about what they would pay for a loft and what features they wanted.
“I surveyed about 400 kids,” he said. “Everybody was like, love it, love it, love it.”
He compiled the data into a comprehensive business plan and used his summer earnings to build 400 lofts. A one-page ad in the Daily Egyptian led to a sellout on the first day.
“I had a stack of checks this thick,” he said. “I was just a student.”
There were early setbacks, including beds that did not fit in certain residence halls. He worked with an engineering student to create spacer blocks and fix the problem.
“It was a nail-biter,” he said. “But we always figured it out and got it done.”
Opportunity, support and campus life
Jannetides said SIU offered more than a business launchpad. It offered a chance.
Born with severe dyslexia, he entered college reading and spelling below grade level. Through SIU’s Achieve program, he learned how to navigate coursework using note takers, audio materials and structured support.
“They taught me how to learn in a world that doesn’t learn the way I learn,” he said. “That networking taught me how to run a business.”
As a first-generation college student and the son of immigrants, he said the opportunity to attend a major research university changed his trajectory.
“Going to Southern was an opportunity,” he said. “It gave me a chance.”
He also credits residence hall life with shaping his confidence.
“The social skill, being able to stand up in a room full of freshmen and say, ‘Would you fill out my survey?’ that was built in the residence hall,” he said.
A company that never forgot its roots
University Loft Co. grew steadily, expanding to campuses nationwide and into manufacturing and development. Today, the company operates at thousands of institutions and manufactures furniture domestically and internationally.
Through growth and transition, including leadership roles now held by his sons, Jannetides said one principle has remained constant.
“Say what you’re going to do and do what you say,” he said.
That commitment to integrity became central to his identity as a business leader and ultimately shaped his philanthropy.
Giving back with purpose
For Jannetides, giving back to SIU is not symbolic. It is strategic and heartfelt.
He established the James N. Jannetides Professorship of Business Ethics Endowment Fund in the College of Business and Analytics. The fund supplements the educational activities of the professorship holder.
The goal is clear: ensure business ethics remains at the center of business education and research at SIU.
Dr. John Fraedrich, the professor who mentored Jannetides as a student, later consulted with his company on ethics. Endowing the professorship honors that mentorship and reinforces the values Jannetides believes drive lasting success.
“Ethics is not optional,” he said. “It’s the foundation.”
He has also supported other initiatives connected to student life and housing, reflecting his belief in the power of the campus experience.
“I’ve been so blessed,” he said. “In the end, you want to share the story. You want to give back.”
A message for future Salukis
Jannetides encourages students to make the most of the opportunities around them.
“Network,” he said. “Get involved. Come out of the room and say hello.”
He believes the relationships built on campus can shape careers and lives in ways students cannot yet see.
“The people you meet your freshman year could be in your life for the rest of your life,” he said.
For Jannetides, the story comes full circle. The university that gave him space to build now benefits from the success that space created. Through his endowed professorship and continued engagement, he is helping ensure that future Salukis learn not only how to build businesses, but how to build them with integrity.
A college built for impact
SIU’s College of Business and Analytics continues to elevate its national and global standing. The college holds dual AACSB accreditation in both business and accounting, a distinction earned by fewer than 2% of business schools worldwide and widely recognized as the highest standard in business education. SIU’s online business and administration program also ranks in the top 25% in the U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Online Programs.
SIU is also one of just 21 universities nationwide to hold dual Carnegie Classifications for Research 1 and Opportunity University, reinforcing its commitment to both academic excellence and real-world impact.
Through the SIU Foundation, more than $6.9 million in scholarships were awarded in the most recent fiscal year to 2,200 students, representing 19% of the student body.
Support from donors continues to fuel that momentum. Gifts to the College of Business and Analytics strengthen faculty excellence, expand research, enhance student opportunities and help ensure future entrepreneurs receive the same support that once helped Jannetides turn an idea into a company.
To learn more about supporting the College of Business and Analytics, visit siuf.org/business.
