“Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!” Bette Davis said that in All About Eve back in 1950. It’s a classic line – and it sums up 2001 for everyone.

The events of September 11 forever changed the lives of many innocent people, affecting everyone in the civilized world. And, while it’s true that time heals all wounds, this is one huge gaping wound that will probably take more time than we expect.

Despite the turmoil, we did our best to stay focused on our business and our customers. This year we added to our network by opening offices in Curitiba, Brazil; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Bristol, England; Antananarivo, Madagascar; Caracas, Venezuela; Chiasso, Switzerland; Nuremberg, Germany; and Nashville, Tennessee.

We’ve maintained our commitment to making enhancements to our IT infrastructure. In 2001 we improved our document imaging, scanning, and bar coding along with other upgrades to existing programs, including the “Euro” conversions for our offices in Europe. And we did not cut back on training, or increasing our sales staff or any of our value-added in-house services that can be offered to employees or to customers.

One always brags about new business, but seldom does one boast about lost business. We lost the North America brokerage business for Ford Motor Company. Why? Ford took an equity position in a software company that left us out. Our people involved with this account did a terrific job. The business was lost through no fault of their own. Expeditors still works with Ford and we’re hopeful, in view of recent events, that the relationship will carry on. Even with this setback, we did continue to increase new business globally.

A big part of those successes is the fact that we continue our strategy of organic growth, and we continue to see benefits from this style of business. Of course, Expeditors is not for sale – at any price – and this bodes well for our stability which is so important to customers, vendors and employees. It’s even more important in a “glitch” year. We were able to anticipate some of the problems that made 2001 so tough, and began watching expenses very closely, saving a couple million dollars in doing so. We will be ever-vigilant next year, and in the years that follow.

As always we thank everyone involved for helping us ride out the year intact. We look forward to 2002 eagerly, with the knowledge that if we stay the course we’ll be in great shape. As mentioned earlier, 2001 was a tough year – they can’t all be winners. But we’ve managed, and over a twenty-year period, there are bound to be a few bumps in the road.