RICHMOND, VA — Estes Express Lines commemorates its 80th anniversary in 2011, reaching a milestone that is particularly meaningful in a time when the severe economic recession has driven many transportation companies out of the marketplace.
Successfully navigating a business through hard times is not new to Estes. Its founder,
W.W. Estes, started the company during the Great Depression with one truck, no driver’s seat and the courage to seize an opportunity to help local farmers transport their produce to market. His legacy of fiscal conservatism, hard work and exceptional customer service is one that W.W.’s son and grandson have honored to build Estes into a full-service, coast-to-coast, North American freight transportation provider.
President and CEO Rob Estes attributes the company’s longevity to a commitment to core values that has helped protect Estes during several economic downturns during the past
80 years.
“Estes maintains a strict financial discipline, carrying little-to-no debt, and we have steadfastly remained a privately held company. This way of doing business allows us to make sound long-term decisions rather than be forced to take less prudent, short-term actions designed to satisfy shareholders,” said Estes. We also offer customers an 80-year track record of stability and dependability; it’s hard to find that kind of record in the industry today.”
Despite challenges brought on by the recent recession, Estes’ continued commitment to core values has helped the company grow significantly since its 75th anniversary, expanding its direct service to all 50 states and hitting a new company milestone in 2010 of $1.5 billion in revenue. Today, the company employs 13,350 across all its operating entities, divisions and affiliates across the U.S. and maintains a fleet of more than 28,000 tractors and trailers.
As part of its growth strategy during the past five years, Estes completed its nationwide footprint by adding 13 terminals in the Upper Midwest. With direct service to all 50 states in place, the company began to implement strategic changes to its North American services. These enhancements allowed Estes to offer total NAFTA solutions throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
As a result of this increased attention to its NAFTA service, Estes was able to grow its shipment count between 2008 and 2010 even during a tough economy. Specifically, shipments to Canada grew by 45 percent and Puerto Rico shipments tripled during that time; Estes is now one of the top providers for the Puerto Rico shipping market.
A sound financial position also enabled the company to make strategic investments in transportation real estate in 2009 to further strengthen its industry position. This growth led to changes in operations to ensure time and cost efficiencies and superior customer service. Aided by enhanced tools such as intelligent freight planning systems and upgraded handheld technology, Estes was able to re-engineer its network to successfully cut transit times and reduce handling.
“We take advantage of every opportunity to improve our network, our technology and our service quality,” said Rob Estes, President and CEO. “It’s why we’re still in business after
eight decades.”
To learn more about Estes’ past, present and future, visit www.estes-express.com and click the “History” tab under “About Us” to view a multimedia presentation of historical truck photographs, a history video and a booklet that chronicles our eight decades of service.
About Estes
Richmond, VA-based Estes is a full-service freight transportation provider offering a full range of shipping solutions including LTL, Time Critical, Volume & Truckload, Global and Custom Solutions. Founded in 1931 by W.W. Estes and still owned by the Estes family, the company has grown from a small, local carrier into one of the most respected total-solutions providers in the industry. More information about Estes and its shipping options is conveniently available on www.estes-express.com and www.worldofways.com.