COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 4731

Arrangement Transport, Freight and Cargo

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

13companies1898–1985founding years13still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedHarper Group Inc.
1898
FoundedGenesee & Wyoming Inc.
1899
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedC. H. Robinson, Inc.
1905
FoundedOscar Mayer Foods Corp.
1911
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedFritz Companies, Inc.
1933
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedAir Express International CorporationFoundedEmery Worldwide Airlines, Inc.
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedAtlas Van Lines, Inc.
1948
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedArkansas Best Corporation
1966
FoundedKoninklijke Nedlloyd N.V.
1970
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedExpeditors International of Washington Inc.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedTNT Freightways Corporation
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedKitty Hawk, Inc.
1985
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Harper Group Inc. →
Active · founded 1898
Harper Group Inc.
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. →
Active · founded 1899
Through its subsidiaries, Genesee & Wyoming Inc.
C. H. Robinson, Inc. →
Active · founded 1905
C.
Oscar Mayer Foods Corp. →
Active · founded 1911
Oscar Mayer Foods Corp.
Fritz Companies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1933
Fritz Companies is one of the largest firms in the integrated logistics field.
Air Express International Corporation →
Active · founded 1946
A diverse transportation and logistics concern, Connecticut-based Air Express International Corporation (AEI) faced the…
Emery Worldwide Airlines, Inc. →
Active · founded 1946
Emery Worldwide Airlines, Inc., commonly known as Emery Worldwide, is an integrated air freight carrier that provides…
Atlas Van Lines, Inc. →
Active · founded 1948
The fifth-largest moving company in the United States, Atlas Van Lines, Inc., derives the majority of its revenue from…
Arkansas Best Corporation →
Active · founded 1966
Parent company of one of the leading truckers in the United States, Arkansas Best Corporation (ABC) ships general…
Koninklijke Nedlloyd N.V. →
Active · founded 1970 · Netherlands
Koninklijke Nedlloyd N.V.
Expeditors International of Washington Inc. →
Active · founded 1979
A fast-growing shipping services company, Expeditors International of Washington Inc.
TNT Freightways Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
TNT Freightways Corporation is one of the most successful trucking firms in North America, crisscrossing the country…
Kitty Hawk, Inc. →
Active · founded 1985
Kitty Hawk, Inc.
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