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FedEx Archives: 2002 Press Releases

( BW)(PA-FEDEX-GROUND)(FDX) FedEx Ground Opens its Largest and Most Technologically Advanced Local Pickup and Delivery Facility in Cleveland

Business Editors
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    PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 6, 2002--

The New Automated Satellite Facility Will Result in Expanded Overnight Ground Coverage and Improved Transit Times for Shippers in the Region

    FedEx Ground, North America's second-largest small-package ground carrier and a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX), will celebrate today the opening in Cleveland of its largest and most automated local operation.

Equipped with the latest package-sortation technology, including high-speed, camera-based scanners that "read" all sides of a package, the 229,000-square-foot facility has the capacity to house 144 pickup and delivery vans and will serve the 3,000-square-mile metropolitan Cleveland and Akron areas.

In terms of size, the new facility rivals some of the company's 27 distribution hubs and is engineered to operate as a "mini" hub in addition to its local pickup and delivery activities. Shippers in the area will benefit from expanded overnight ground coverage as well as faster transit times for packages traveling greater distances.

"Our new facility advances FedEx Ground's technology leadership and proves that we are committed to constantly improving the award-winning service we provide to our customers," said Ivan T. Hofmann, executive vice president and chief operating officer for FedEx Ground. "By introducing high-speed scanning equipment in our local facilities, we can move more packages through the network faster than ever and provide shippers the most detailed tracking information in the market."
Situated between Cleveland and Akron in Richfield, Ohio, the new FedEx Ground facility consolidates the operations of four older and separate sites -- three in the Cleveland metropolitan area and one in Akron. Operating from one central location increases direct loading capacity and brings the latest technologies to the entire Northeastern Ohio region.

The fully automated Cleveland terminal will:


--	Include more than 300 full- and part-time workers and independent pickup-and-delivery contractors.
--	Process 15,000 packages per hour.
--	Deploy cutting-edge package-sorting technology, including camera-based scanners that record an image of every package.
--	Enable regional customers to benefit from reduced transit times and expanded overnight-ground service.
--	Provide FedEx Ground with increased package capacity as the company continues to grow its number of small- and medium-sized shippers.
--	Support the ongoing expansion of the FedEx Home Delivery network, which will reach nearly 100 percent U.S. coverage in September.

The Cleveland facility is the fifth automated terminal in the FedEx Ground network. The others are located in Chattanooga, Tenn; Carol Stream, Ill.; Dallas; and Indianapolis. The company's sixth such facility is slated to open in February 2003 in St. Louis.

FedEx Ground has a network of more than 500 distribution hubs and local pickup-and-delivery terminals throughout the United States and Canada. The company reported annual revenue of $2.2 billion in fiscal year 2001.

With annual revenues of $20 billion, FedEx Corp. is the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply chain management services. The company offers integrated business solutions through a network of subsidiaries operating independently, including: FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company; FedEx Ground, North America's second-largest provider of small-package ground delivery service; FedEx Freight, the largest U.S. provider of regional less-than-truckload freight services; FedEx Custom Critical, the world's largest provider of expedited time-critical shipments; and FedEx Trade Networks, a provider of customs clearance, international freight forwarding and trade facilitation.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Press releases and additional information about FedEx Corp. and its operating companies can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.fedex.com.

    --30--cmm/cl*

    CONTACT: FedEx Ground
             David Westrick, 412/859-5435
             david.westrick@fedex.com

    KEYWORD: OHIO PENNSYLVANIA TENNESSEE TEXAS INDIANA MISSOURI
    INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TRANSPORTATION E-COMMERCE CONSUMER/HOUSEHOLD
PHOTO PHOTOWIRE
    SOURCE: FedEx Ground
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