Thank you very much. Merci beaucoup.
My name is Stewart Bacon. I am the chairman of the board of Purolator Holdings, and my colleague Bill Henderson is the president and CEO.
Chairman Tweed, vice-chairmen Volpe and Laframboise, and members of the committee, we are pleased to be here today and welcome the opportunity to speak with the committee about the important work Purolator does for Canadian businesses.
As Canada's largest courier company, Purolator delivers innovative products and superior service on which Canadians have come to depend. Flexibility and responsiveness are the hallmarks of Purolator's approach to customer service. To deliver unparalleled customer service, we have built Canada's most extensive national network and supporting infrastructure.
Purolator employs more than 11,000 Canadians, of which over 9,000 are members of Teamsters Canada and just under 2,000 are Purolator shareholders. We maintain facilities across all regions of Canada with more than 35% of those facilities located in rural areas. We have more facilities in more regional centres than any other courier company in Canada. Nationally, provincially and regionally, Purolator delivers the same exceptional, value-added service and support, regardless of where our customers choose to call home.
We operate approximately 4,000 ground vehicles, of which more than 200 are hybrid-electric vehicles, and, through our partners Kelowna Flightcraft, leverage a domestic air network of 15 aircraft including two DC-10s dedicated to delivering mail product for Canada Post. Purolator's vast network and team of dedicated employees enable Purolator to deliver 275 million packages and envelopes annually.
However, Purolator's story cannot be told solely by the number of packages and envelopes it delivers. Each and every day, milestones are reached that serve to improve the quality of our service for Canadians.
In 2009 alone, Purolator reached several milestones. First of all, Purolator Global Supply Chain Services opened a facility in Toronto, Ontario, supporting GSC facilities in Richmond, British Columbia and Montréal, Quebec.
Secondly, Purolator launched its new advertising campaign promoting “a network unlike any other”, highlighting its role as the Official Courier for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Thirdly, Purolator was selected by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Ontario Trucking Association as one of 50 companies to test long combination vehicles.
Fourthly, Purolator received its Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism re-certification membership approval, thus doing our part to help secure the Canada-Us border.
It is this continual commitment to renewal that allows Purolator to deliver directly to more points in Canada than any of its competitors; in fact, to every region across our nation.