Unishippers Makes the 2007 Inc. 5,000 List

Posted on October 12, 2007 by Bill Dube

SALT LAKE CITY,— Unishippers Association, Inc., the nation’s largest reseller of complete shipping services, has been included in Inc. Magazine’s first-ever Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. In addition, one of Unishippers’ franchises, based in Laredo, Texas, has also been included on the list under the name Isla International, for its outstanding growth since 2003. Both organizations are honored to be a part of the Inc. 5000, which is an extension of Inc. Magazine’s annual Inc. 500 list. Taken as a whole, the companies on the list represent the backbone of the U.S. economy.

“The Inc. 5,000 provides the most comprehensive look ever at the most important part of the economy — the entrepreneurial part,” said Inc. 5,000 Project Manager Jim Melloan. “The expansion of the list has allowed us to tell the stories of larger and older companies that are underreported in the business media.”

Unishippers Association, Inc., headquartered in Salt Lake City, has accelerated the revenue growth in its franchise system over the past three years through strong corporate initiatives, including recruiting high quality B2B sales representatives, expanding its core group of shipping carriers and enhancing its customer support through state-of-the-art technology for shipment preparation, price quoting and tracking.

Unishippers Founder and CEO Steve Nelson is delighted about the company’s inclusion in the Inc. 5000. “This year, Unishippers is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and it’s very gratifying that despite the fact that we are well past the initial start-up phase, our solid growth rate has qualified us for inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list,” he said. “It’s a tribute to the hard work and effort of our franchisees throughout the country as they continue to expand their businesses and serve their customers well. It is also an acknowledgment of the enduring nature of the simple, yet profitable idea we conceived two decades ago.”

Complete information on this year’s Inc. 5,000, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. The list features a profile for each company and is searchable according to numerous criteria, including industry, city, state, region, and year founded. The 2007 Inc. 5000 list measures revenue growth from 2003 through 2006. To qualify, companies had to be U.S.-based and privately held, independent — not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies — as of December 31, 2006, and have had at least $200,000 in revenue in 2003, and $2 million in 2006.

About Unishippers

Unishippers Association, Inc. is a nationwide franchise organization founded in 1987. The company’s concept is simple — major carriers such as DHL, Roadway®, and BAX Global® handle the pick-up, transport and delivery of customers’ shipments, while local franchisees provide customer service and support. By leveraging the combined shipping volume of all its customers, Unishippers gets deeply discounted rates from its carriers, resulting in lower shipping costs for customers. This successful business model has propelled Unishippers to become the largest reseller of shipping services in the U.S., serving more than 80,000 small to medium-sized businesses, moving nearly 1 million shipments per month and operating in 265 franchise areas nationwide with 2007 revenues on track to exceed $300 million.