Atlanta, GA--In 2006 a marketing team was assembled to create
Green Express, Atlanta's first eco-friendly courier. As the group explored reducing consumption of natural resources, it quickly became apparent that there would be an entire paradigm shift with a new company.
The conventional methods that were the status quo in the courier industry would not work going forward in a world that was becoming more energy conscious every day.
The group determined hybrid electric cars would work best for reducing fuel consumption and reduction of carbon emissions. There would be massive savings in fuel cost and less pollution with the hybrid cars. Eliminating paper could be done by e-mailing bills which the enviro-friendly customers would accept. Even the office could be replaced by tele-workers and laptop computers that were mobile.
The new company was launched in January 2007 with the idea that everybody in Atlanta, given the same price and choice of eco-friendly, would choose the green courier alternative. The core assumption was most people like clean air, energy efficiency and on a conscious level it feels good to use vendors who are doing the right thing. Green Express could be the next great company starting in Atlanta.
One variable that wasn't accounted for was the sub-prime mortgage meltdown. It's not a great idea to launch a new service company when the main customer base is moving to crises state. With a customer base dependent on the sale of homes, Green Express launched at the same time real estate went into a market free fall. Real estate attorneys, mortgage lenders and home builders businesses were cut by nearly 75% overnight and the courier business was down stream and took a huge hit.
For Green Express, the newly launched company had one choice. Find a new customer base quickly. Because of the market dynamics, fear kept some companies from making any changes which meant they would not be switching to the green couriers.
However, Green Express started pursuing customers like architects, engineers, commercial builders and non-profits who had a natural tendency to use eco-friendly vendors. Green Express started picking up new green friendly customers daily. Green Ex held their own in the toughest of economic times by replacing nearly all of their customer base.
As the economy worsened, Green Ex kept adding green friendly customers which offset the declining demand of the overall market. The Atlanta real estate market eventually hit bottom and managed to stay in a holding pattern which was bad news for the courier industry. Green Ex decided the only way to survive was to keep fighting for the newly targeted eco-friendly clients.
Green Ex started spending more time communicating to their customer base and building the relationships. The company took a new look at the drivers and how they were representing the company. Green Ex invested in new green uniforms which helped brand the service in a refreshing, new way. The company changed out the standard clipboards that hold the signatures, for a green presentation notebook which had a better presentation and marketing value.
The drivers were encouraged to keep their cars clean and continue to put their best foot forward because the best way out of the recession was new customers and drivers with great attitudes. Every process was re-evaluated to insure that loyal customers were given great service.
Nothing came easy. It wasn't the vision that was birthed three years earlier when the market was at an all time high and the courier business was thriving. However, sometimes persevering is success. After two and half years in a difficult economy , the green courier company has a new appreciation for good customers, loyal clients and a faith that better days are ahead.
For more information on Green Express, go to
http://www.greendelivers.com/ or call 770-394-3131.
