Purolator Inc. is a Canadian courier majority owned by Canada Post. It was founded as Trans Canada Couriers, Ltd and acquired in 1967 by Purolator, a US manufacturer of oil and air filters.[3] In 1987, the company returned to Canadian ownership. Although it retained the Purolator name, it has had no connection with the oil filter business since that time.
 | |
| Formerly | Trans Canada Couriers, Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Company type | Joint Venture |
| Industry | Courier |
| Founded | 5 December 1960 in Eastern Canada |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations |
|
Key people | John Ferguson (President and CEO) |
| Products |
|
| Revenue | CA$2.2 billion (2020) |
| Owner |
|
Number of employees | 13,000+ (2020) |
| Subsidiaries | Purolator International |
| Website | purolator |
| Footnotes / references [1][2] | |
History
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Purolator began in the 1960s, initially called Trans Canada Couriers, Ltd. with two employees as a subsidiary of American Courier Corporation. In 1967, ACC was bought out by Purolator Filters, who made automotive oil filtration systems (hence the name "Pure-oil-later" = "Pur-o-lator").[4] By 1970, it operated 84 vehicles.[5] The courier company was later renamed Purolator. In 1987, it was sold by Purolator Filters to Canadian owners but retained the Purolator name.
In 1987 Purolator partnered with DHL's predecessor (Airborne Express) to better serve the American market which continued until 2008. In 1993, Canada Post became the majority shareholder and now owns 91% of the business with 7% owned by Rainmaker Investments Ltd. and 2% by others.[1] Purolator opened its first fully automated sortation hub in Ontario in 2022.[6]
Operations
editPurolator delivered over 25 million packages in 2018[7] and in 2019 operated 170 terminals in Canada and an additional 30 in the US.[8]
Purolator partners with UPS for deliveries outside Canada.
Cargojet operates Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 aircraft for Purolator.
As of April 29, 2024 had over 5,000 reviews at Trusted Reviews with an average review of 1.1 out of five.[9]
Unicell Quicksider
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On September 24, 2007, Purolator Inc. introduced the Unicell Quicksider, a prototype full-electric, lightweight urban delivery vehicle, developed by a consortium led by Toronto-based Unicell Limited with ArvinMeritor, Electrovaya, the Transportation Development Centre of Transport Canada, and others.[10][11]
Corporate citizenship
editIn 2003, the Purolator Tackle Hunger initiative was created by company employees to address food insecurity and has since delivered over 18 million meals to food banks across Canada.[12] Purolator has also refurbished and donated 20 curbside delivery vehicles to Canadian food banks and food organizations as part of the Purolator Tackle Hunger initiative.[13] The Canadian Football League is a partner in the Purolator Tackle Hunger initiative and raises awareness through Game Day Drives.[14] Annually, during the first week of June, the Purolator Tackle Hunger Week is held to raise awareness of food insecurity and to collect donations.[15]
References
edit- ^ a b "Facts". Purolator. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- ^ "John Ferguson". Purolator. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ^ "Corporate History". Purolator. 5 December 1960. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
- ^ "History". Purolator Auto Filters. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
- ^ Finn, Patrick (14 July 1970). "Business sidesteps the postal dispute". The Montreal Star. p. 21. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ Gismondi, Angela (17 August 2022). "Package delivered: Purolator's new $330M national hub unveiled - constructconnect.com". Daily Commercial News. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ Jagdev, Simran (25 June 2019). "Purolator to Spend $759 Million for Faster Deliveries in Canada". Transport Topics. Bloomberg News. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ Smith, Jennifer (30 October 2019). "Canadian Courier Purolator Resets for E-Commerce Growth". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ Trusted Reviews Purolator, Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ "Purolator Introduces Prototype Battery-Electric Delivery Vehicle". Green Car Congress. 24 September 2007. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
- ^ "Purolator Quicksider Electric Delivery Vehicle Displayed in Toronto". TreeHugger. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
- ^ "Tackle Hunger". Purolator. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Truck Donations". Purolator. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Canadian Football League (CFL)". Purolator. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Purolator Tackle Hunger Week". Purolator. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
External links
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