For Immediate Release: May 8, 2001

AKRON, Ohio – FedEx Custom Critical, North America’s largest time-specific, critical-shipment carrier, has opened an ExpressCenter in Wichita, Kan., to provide rapid pickup service for businesses in the city and surrounding communities.

The new ExpressCenter offers pickup of freight in less than 90 minutes for customers located within a 25-mile radius of Wichita and in less than two hours within a 26- to 50-mile radius.

An ExpressCenter is a location where trucks are available for dispatch. Five sizes of trucks are available to meet customers’ expedited shipping needs: minivans, cargo vans, 12-foot and 20-foot straight trucks and tractor-trailers.

“Wichita is a hub of economic activity in the Midwest,” said FedEx Custom Critical regional sales manager Stuart Williams. “Our new ExpressCenter will give Wichita-area manufacturers and distribution facilities quick access to the transportation services they need to expedite parts and products throughout the U.S. and Canada.”

FedEx Custom Critical specializes in critical shipments of any weight that require same-day or early next-day delivery. Williams noted that FedEx Custom Critical’s door-to-door Surface Expedite and CharterAir® services are particularly suited for manufacturers in the area.

“Manufacturers in many industries require expedited shipping when they have tight production schedules and need to have parts delivered quickly to keep a production line in operation,” he said. “And aerospace manufacturers often require same-day shipping – sometimes measured in hours – to get a part delivered to an aircraft in need of immediate repair.”

To arrange a shipment, customers call 800-762-3787. FedEx Custom Critical immediately dispatches an appropriate size truck to pick up the freight and transport it straight through to its destination.

Features of FedEx Custom Critical’s services include:

• Non-stop, door-to-door delivery throughout the U.S. and Canada.
•  24-hour, seven-day-a-week availability, including nights, weekends and holidays at no extra charge.
• Exclusive-use vehicles.
• Two-way satellite communications to track shipments from pickup through delivery.
• Immediate quotes, with transit times to the minute and price to the penny.
• Specialized equipment for care in handling, such as temperature control, air ride and liftgates.
• On-time performance. More than 96 percent of shipments are delivered within 15 minutes of the company’s time-specific promise.

FedEx Custom Critical provides exclusive-use, time-specific shipment services throughout the U.S. and Canada and within Europe. Among its divisions are Surface Expedite, for non-stop, door-to-door transport of critical shipments; White Glove Services®, for shipments that require special care in handling; and CharterAir®, which offers an array of expedited air solutions to meet customers’ critical delivery times. FedEx Custom Critical is an operating subsidiary of FedEx Corp.

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, a leading 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 brokerage, consulting, information technology and trade facilitation solutions.