The Name

The name DHL comes from the initials of the last names of the three company founders, Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn.

In 1969, a few months after Neil Armstrong took his first great step on the moon, the three partners got together to take a small step that would have a profound effect on the way business was done around the world. In the beginning, the founders flew their own cargo documents between San Francisco and Honolulu, which allowed them to clear the goods before they arrived, significantly reducing the wait time at the port.

Sticking it to the customer

With this concept, a new industry was born: International Air Courier, the fastest way to move documents and goods by air.

DHL's network began to expand at an astonishing rate. It pushed westward, from Hawaii to the Far East and the Pacific Rim, then to the Middle East, Africa and Europe. By 1988, DHL was serving 170 countries and employing more than 16,000 people.

Integration

At the beginning of 2002, Deutsche Post Global Network became a major shareholder in DHL. By the end of 2002, DHL was 100% owned by Deutsche Post Global Network.

In 2003, Deutsche Post World Net consolidated all of its express and logistics businesses under a single brand name, DHL, which was further strengthened by the acquisition of Exel in December 2005 by Deutsche Post World Net. The specialized services of the integrated DHL come from several companies acquired by Deutsche Post Global Network. Only a selection is listed below:

Exel: When Deutsche Post Global Network acquired Exel in December 2005, Exel had approximately 111,000 employees in 135 countries around the world.Exel's primary business was providing transportation and logistics solutions to key customers.