Month: January 2025

Originally published in FedEx’s 2024 Global Economic Impact Report

Empowering small businesses around the world

Throughout its history, FedEx has been an integral part of the small- and medium-sized business (SAM) sector. The extensive FedEx network is both a vital part of the global small business supply chain and a key distribution network for those companies. At the same time, FedEx directly contributes to the growth of smaller companies through its annual spending. In CY 2023, 90% of FedEx suppliers were classified as small business, and FedEx spending with those companies supported approximately 400,000 jobs at small businesses around the world.

FedEx designs its services to help businesses accelerate their growth and extend their global reach, which in turn supports local job creation and economic activity.

In FY 2024, FedEx continued to enhance its portfolio of SAM-focused services, including:

Offering discounted packaging services and domestic/international shipping to smaller companies around the world.Partnering with leading e-commerce and brick-and-mortar companies to extend the reach of the FedEx network, such as adding third-party pick-up and drop-off locations to help smaller e-commerce companies better serve their customers. Notable collaborations include:The expansion of self-collection points for import shipments at GS25 convenience stores across South Korea;Offering FedEx services at 1,100 outlets in collaboration with 2GO, SM Business Centers, and Alfamart in the Philippines;Launching more than 1,200 selfcollection lockers at Manila Metro stations in collaboration with Airspeed;And creating over 4,000 collection points across Poland in collaboration with nine major retailers.
 Forming alliances with private enterprises and government authorities to streamline importing and exporting. Notable collaborations include:An alliance between FedEx in Korea and eBay CBT (Cross Border Trade) that provides cross-border e-commerce logistics services for Korean businesses expanding internationally;An alliance with the Gyeongsangbukdo provincial government in Korea to support local businesses expand their presence into global markets;A collaboration with Mastercard and VISA in Thailand to empower global expansion for local SAMs;An alliance with Zonos in Europe that combines Zonos’ cross-border technology with the FedEx network to expedite cross-border shipments for SAMs by allowing shoppers to prepay all customs duties, taxes, and fees at checkout.
 Creating more shipping options for smaller businesses, such as the introduction of Regional EconomyServices in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Jordan, which offers cost-effective deferred day-definite road solutions for less urgent shipments transported within these key Middle East markets.Providing an extensive range of educational resources to help small businesses grow their operations, including how-to guides and articles on FedEx Small Business Hub websites; panel discussions and training sessions at industry events; the FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab in partnership with Accion Opportunity Fund to help small businesses get started in shipping; the “Making it Work” podcast that features business advice from successful entrepreneurs; and the “Journey of Small Business Success with FedEx” YouTube channel, which highlights growth stories from real customers.Creating the FedEx Innovation Lab (FIL) in India, which makes early-stage investments in digital startups that are developing technologies for smarter, more efficient supply chains. The FIL’s first investment was in Mad Street Den, a computer vision and AI company that has earned a reputation for delivering innovative AI solutions. The start-up’s AI platform enables operations, product and technology teams to improve and optimize efficiencies. Their products are deployed across several industries, including retail, healthcare, finance, insurance, logistics, and more.Empowering small businesses through the “SME Connect” series to interact with subject matter experts from FedEx and the industry for solution-focused discussions that can add value to their businesses.

To further strengthen the global SAM community, FedEx launched its Small Business Grant Program 12 years ago to recognize innovative entrepreneurs and provide funding to help accelerate their growth. Since then, FedEx has offered versions of the program in the U.S., Canada, LAC, and APAC, and in FY 2024 awarded over $1 million in prizes to more than 60 companies.

In the U.S., 10 companies received a total of over $230,000 in cash and prizes. The $50,000 grand prize winner was Bombi, an eco-conscious stroller company that incorporates 50 recycled plastic bottles in its stroller fabric, uses no-single-use plastics in their packaging, and donates to foundations for every stroller sold.In Canada, 16 winners received a total of $150,000 in cash prizes, including The Original Maple Bat Company, which sells custom maple baseball bats all over the world and received the grand prize of $25,000.In LAC, 33 companies from seven countries received more than $575,000. Winners included Chilean brewery Cerveza Atrapaniebla, which produces craft beer using water droplets collected from fog; Brazilian clothing company Equal Moda Inclusiva, which produces conventional and adapted items for people with various types of disabilities; and Mexican company Suul, which offers an alternative to traditional detergent to reduce plastic pollution.In APAC, four companies from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore shared a total prize pool of $69,000. The $30,000 grand prize winner was Lucence, a precision oncology start-up from Singapore that is developing non-invasive tests that aim to accurately diagnose cancer.

Read more

Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program.

PORT CHESTER, NY, January 29, 2025 /3BL/ – Today, KeyBank, a Fortune 500 company with regional headquarters in Tarrytown NY, celebrated the opening of its newest branch office located at 1 North Main Street, Port Chester NY, with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by bank leaders, local business owners and community partners.

“Opening this branch has been a journey that started more than a year ago with a vision to expand our presence in Westchester County and bring our exceptional banking services and community-focused values to Port Chester,” said KeyBank Regional Retail Executive Louis Hoxha. “It is exciting to be in the beautiful Main and Port residential community in the heart of a vibrant business and retail district.”

Hoxha went on to say “Westchester County is an important part of our Hudson Valley/Metro NY market and New York is the largest state we do business in — in fact, the roots of KeyBank go back 200 years to Albany NY. This new branch is a meaningful symbol of our continued commitment to this region.”

Village of Port Chester Trustee and Deputy Mayor Phil Dorazio offered congratulatory remarks, saying how important it is to have a local bank in the community. “I’m a small business owner, and Port Chester thrives on our small businesses. To have KeyBank here in this beautiful new building means a lot to our village.” Dorazio went on to say “Even before the doors opened and there was still brown paper on the windows, the people of KeyBank were already out in our community, sponsoring and attending events, and meeting people and businesses in the neighborhood. The fact that they have staffed this branch with Latinos and Spanish-speaking bankers to help this heavily Spanish community, which is the backbone of our village, is a real plus.”

Port Chester Village Manager and Chamber of Commerce board member Stuart Rabin echoed Trustee Dorazio’s remarks. “North Main Street and Westchester Avenue are very important to the Village and are areas that we are revitalizing for a new tomorrow. It is so exciting to have KeyBank here in this cornerstone piece of property in our downtown center. We wish you the best of luck here.”

The celebration included the presentation of a $10,000 community grant to Port Chester-based Project Morry, a nonprofit that provides academic enrichment, leadership development, and a residential summer learning experience for children grade fourth through twelve. KeyBank’s fund will help support the organization’s College and Career Readiness Program, guiding more than 150 economically disadvantaged students from 8th grade through their first year after high school graduation.

Project Morry Executive Director Dawn Ewing accepted the grant, saying “We are so thrilled to be welcoming KeyBank to the Port Chester community. Their clear goal of not only supporting the work of the local nonprofits like Project Morry, but truly being a part of the community itself separates them from so many other institutions. We look forward to being their partner as they begin their time here in Port Chester.”

KeyBank’s new 3,975 square foot full-service branch will provide clients with a full range of financial products and services, including personal and business banking, investment solutions, and mortgage lending. The facility will include state-of-the-art banking technology, a walk-up ATM, metered parking in front of the branch and free nearby parking, and a gathering room available for use by community groups upon request. This newest location represents KeyBank’s continued commitment to enhancing access to comprehensive financial services for individuals, families and businesses throughout the Westchester and Hudson Valley region. Doors opened to the public on Monday, January 27th.

ABOUT KEYCORP

In 2025, KeyCorp celebrates its bicentennial, marking 200 years of service to clients and communities from Maine to Alaska. To learn more, visit KeyBank Heritage Center. 

Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $187 billion at December 31, 2024. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.

###

CONTACT: 

Karen Crane | Regional Communications Manager | 203-789-2752| karen_crane@keybank.com