Federal Express founder, Fred Smith, passed away at the age of 80, the company announced. A decorated US Marine Corps veteran, Smith established FedEx in 1973.
He served as CEO until 2022. Current CEO Raj Subramaniam described Smith as “the heart and soul of FedEx,” in a staff memo.
Born in 1944, Smith launched FedEx with 389 employees and 14 small planes, initially delivering 186 packages from Memphis to 25 US cities.
Today, FedEx boasts over 500,000 global employees, handling millions of daily deliveries using 705 aircraft and 200,000 vehicles.
Subramaniam also praised Smith as a mentor and inspiration, a loving family man, and a dedicated friend.
After graduating from Yale, Smith served two tours in Vietnam, earning medals for bravery before leaving the Marines as a captain in 1969.
Smith’s innovative hub-and-spoke delivery system, conceived at Yale, revolutionized the industry, with Memphis, Tennessee as its central hub.
While largely private, Smith made a memorable cameo in the film *Castaway*.
West Northamptonshire Council reports a six-figure expenditure on consultants and legal counsel.
West Northamptonshire Council will not contest an appeal against its planning refusal.
Real estate analysts attribute surging demand for larger warehouses to the growth of online shopping.
Increased US customs regulations have prompted a postal service to halt package deliveries to American consumers.
A public inquiry is underway following DHL’s appeal of a council’s warehouse planning rejection.