It will come as no surprise that here at Sweetwater, we pack and ship a lot of packages. Each of those packages represents a trust from you, our customer. You’ve trusted us to get your order to you in perfect shape and on time, as promised. That’s why choosing a partner company for us to work with to get your orders delivered is critically important. It has to be a company we can trust to treat those precious packages with the same care that we use here to pack and prepare them. Our carrier of first choice for delivering those packages? FedEx.
The Sweetwater management team recently had a chance to tour the FedEx hub in Memphis, Tennessee. It was an experience we won’t soon forget. Not because the facilities are so immense. Not because the task of handling so many packages so efficiently is astounding. Not because of the number of people who work there, the number of airplanes and trucks in constant operation, or of the technical wizardry that makes it all happen. All of those are impressive. But because of the dedication and care FedEx shows to their work and to your packages — it’s nothing short of inspiring.
During our tour, we asked our tour guide what were probably the same old questions he’s heard over and over again: what are the most expensive items FedEx has shipped (priceless paintings and jewels, loads of gold), what are the biggest (helicopters), what are the most challenging (zoo animals, race horses with their trainers), and so on. As he finished answering these questions, he added, “But the most valuable package we ship is always the one that is right in front of us, the one we’re currently handling.”
The Memphis FedEx hub is beyond massive, with 11,000 total employees and hundreds of airplanes and trucks. There are huge buildings for handling packages, and mile after mile of crisscrossing, labyrinthian conveyor belts moving packages. All is controlled by what just may be the world’s largest commercial international network of computer technology, with the assistance of an army of men and women who carefully sort and send each package along its way.
The FedEx story is an amazing one; born of one man’s vision for a company offering overnight delivery of packages. From humble beginnings in 1971 to a $45-billion conglomerate, the company is still guided by founder Frederick W. Smith’s vision for a reliable service that could get a package anywhere, affordably, on time, and safely.
What we learned during our tour only served to reinforce that we have made the correct choice in partnering with FedEx. FedEx is a company that has earned our trust and our business through their values and their performance. Our goal is for every single order we ship to you to arrive in perfect condition, as quickly as possible. FedEx provides the service we need to accomplish this, and we’re proud to partner with them.