These are the first letters of the last names of the three company founders, Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn.
In 1969, just months after the world had marvelled at Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon, the three partners took another small step that would have a profound impact on the way the world does business.
The founders began to personally ship papers by airplane from San Francisco to Honolulu, beginning customs clearance of the ship’s cargo before the actual arrival of the ship and dramatically reducing waiting time in the harbour.
Customers stood to save a fortune. With this concept, a new industry was born: international air express, the rapid delivery of documents and shipments by airplane.
The DHL Network continued to grow at an incredible pace. The company expanded westward from Hawaii into the Far East and Pacific Rim, then the Middle East, Africa and Europe. By 1988, DHL was already present in 170 countries and had 16,000 employees. © 2006 DHL