Unishippers Celebrates 30 Years of Saving SMBs Time, Trouble, and Money

(Franchise Buy) - By Holli. Updated Mar 14, 2017

SALT LAKE CITY – In 1987, four entrepreneurs had an idea for helping small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) save money on their shipping: consolidate all their shipments under one account in order to receive discounts normally reserved for the largest shippers. This simple concept of aggregate shipping took hold and Unishippers was born.

The company started with one carrier partner, one product and relied on paper waybills and invoices. Fast forward to today, and the 3PL offers customers more than 30 carrier options and a full menu of shipping services including express, ground, LTL and FTL. Unishippers operates with nearly 300 franchise locations and affiliate outlets, has system-wide revenues surpassing $475 million, and services 50,000 customers through an online transportation management system. Further, while the company has thrived and continues to look for ways to innovate, its continued focus on providing high-level customer service and reliable savings remains the same.

“Regardless of the industry, shipping is one of the most crucial functions of most businesses – it can influence a business’ ability to properly service customers, and therefore directly impacts sales and reputation. That’s why our goal is to make the shipping experience as easy and worry-free as possible for our customers,” said Kevin Lathrop, CEO and President of Unishippers. “Our success over the past 30 years is attributed to the trusted relationships we’ve established with both our customers and carrier partners. We wouldn't be here today without their support and loyalty.”

To celebrate its 30th Anniversary, Unishippers is asking customers to help the company take a trip down memory lane. Starting March 14, Unishippers is sharing some of its favorite memories on Facebook, and is randomly giving away one $50 gift card each day to anyone who shares their own favorite memory from that year.

Unishippers was built on the foundation that no two customers are alike, and therefore proactively works to meet their unique needs by creating individual solutions that ensure smart choices that save money. By leveraging its deep customer base, Unishippers is able to secure stable discounts from carrier partners that are then passed on to its customers. The Unishippers carrier network is a group of 30-plus carefully selected local, regional and national freight carriers – including UPS®, Saia®, Estes®, YRC Freight, and UPS Freight®, among other major carriers.

“Our top focus is on delivering customers Platinum Service,” Lathrop added. “We believe that small and mid-size businesses should have the same advantages that are normally only available for the largest shippers—this is a philosophy that never goes out of style. That’s why we now offer complete shipping and transportation solutions, including a dedicated account team for service, technology built for SMB customers and flexible credit, insurance and invoicing options.”

About Unishippers Global Logistics

Unishippers Global Logistics (“Unishippers” or the “Company”) is a leading provider of third party logistics services to over 50,000 small and medium-sized businesses through a network of nearly 300 franchise locations and affiliate outlets. The Company offers small package and heavy freight services, including LTL, FTL and air freight through UPS®, Saia®, Estes®, YRC Freight and UPS Freight® and other major carriers to manage the pickup, transport and delivery of customers’ shipments. The franchisees leverage the scale of the combined network to offer customers attractive shipping rates and are committed to providing best in class service. Unishippers’ strategy has resulted in significant growth year after year, and the Company has been recognized as a top freight broker by Transport Topics and a top franchise by Entrepreneur, Franchise Times and the Inc. 5000. The Company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. For information on Unishippers, including information on franchising opportunities and price quotes, visit: www.unishippers.com.

Media Contact: Jayne Levy, Fishman Public Relations, (847) 945-1300 or jlevy@fishmanpr.com