FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION

FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION

• FedEx Corporation is a leading logistics services company, based in the United States. FedEx is a syllabic

abbreviation of the company's original name, Federal Express, used until 1994.

• The company was founded as Federal Express in 1971 by Frederick W. Smith in Little Rock, Arkansas.

• While attending Yale University, Fred Smith wrote a paper on the need for reliable overnight delivery in a

computerized information age. His professor found the premise improbable and, to the best of Smith's

recollection, he only received a grade of C for this effort, but the idea remained with him.

• After graduation, Smith enlisted in the Marine Corps and served two tours of duty in Vietnam.

• While in the military, the young lieutenant observed military procurement and delivery procedures

carefully, with an eye toward someday realizing his dream of a vast network dedicated to overnight

commercial delivery. Smith got his chance when he left the service and started his express transport

business in 1971.

• The name Federal Express was chosen to symbolize a national marketplace, and to help obtain government

contracts.

• The company began operations with a network of Dassault Falcon 20s

• In 1984-86 the company operated a fax service known as Zapmail that turned out to be a commercial failure

• In 1989 the company acquired Flying Tigers, an international cargo airline

• The "Federal Express" name was eliminated entirely in 2000, when FDX Corporation changed its name to

FedEx Corporation and adopted the tagline "The World On Time"

• FedEx Kinko's: Dallas-based chain that provides copying/printing and business services

• In its advertising, the company made famous the line "Absolutely, positively" for their overnight service

• In 2003, FedEx partnered with the Department of Homeland Security and Northrop Grumman to develop and flight test an anti-missile system, the Northrop Grumman Guardian that could be deployed on

commercial airliners, to protect them from terrorist attacks

• FedEx became the first air carrier to deploy the Guardian on a commercial flight in 2006

• FedEx in popular culture: In the 1999 film Runaway Bride, Julia Roberts's character flees her own wedding

by jumping aboard a FedEx truck. When someone asks where she's going, another character replies that he

doesn't know, but she'll get there by 10 am the next day.