1977 was the year in which
Barry Pearse returned to Nashville with a new bride and an idea for
a cartage company. He had spent a short amount of time in Nashville
as the District Manager of a major air freight forwarder. He liked
what he saw.
Together with his former
operations manager and 2 vans, Accelerated, Inc. was launched into
the market. Through hard work, an aquisition, and a buy out of his
partner, Mr. Pearse has been responsible for the continued growth
of the Company. He remains the President and sole owner of Accelerated
Inc.
Accelerated remained a
very successful and growing local cartage company. Courier work and
air freight delivery allowes the Company to expand north into Kentucky,
over 100 miles east, south and west from Nashville. It became the
largest pick up and delivery company in Nashville.
The continued expansion
took a turn in 1995 when Accelerated began operating a line haul operation
into Atlanta. Air freight was picked up at the local forwarders and
airlines in Atlanta and transported to Nashville for delivery. Freight
picked up as far away as Bowling Green, KY could be delivered to an
airline or forwarder the next morning in Atlanta.
At the urging of customers,
Memphis was added to the schedule. The first new Accelerated terminal
was opened in 1996. Shortly thereafter, Atlanta had grown too large
for an agent operation, and a second terminal was opened there in
1997.
The following year, the
company moved into a new terminal in Huntsville. Agents and service
was added to Knoxville and Chattanooga. The following year Birmingham
was added to the system.
Many of the company's international
customers in Memphis and Nashville needed reliable and consistent
service to Chicago. Service to ORD began in April of 2001. This lane
was an instant success. A second truck was added and then a third.
It remains one of the most utilized lane segments in the Accelerated
system.
The expansion continued
in 2002 with the launch of service to the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport.
After less than a year in the market, the strength of demand made
a Company terminal necessary. This new facility opened on January
6 of 2003.
Under continued direction
of Barry Pearse, together with his management staff of Scott Grevemberg,
Executive Vice President and Larry Gibbs, Vice President-Operations,
it is certain that Accelerated, Inc. wil continue to expand.