W. W. Estes

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W. W. Estes
Born
Webb Wallace Estes

(1897-08-12)August 12, 1897
Burke County, North Carolina, US
DiedJune 29, 1971(1971-06-29) (aged 73)
Richmond, Virginia, US
Resting placeWoodland Cemetery
Chase City, Virginia, U.S.
Occupations
  • Businessman
  • farmer
  • politician
Known forFounding Estes Express Lines
Board member ofMecklenburg County Board of Supervisors, First Commonwealth Corporation, Community Memorial Hospital

Webb Wallace Estes (August 12, 1897 – June 29, 1971) was an American farmer and businessman who founded Estes Express Lines, the largest privately held less-than-truckload (LTL) company in the United States.[1][2]

Childhood and education[edit]

Estes was born in Burke County, North Carolina, the son of David Wallace Estes and Myrta Wilton Webb. He attended primary school and was an apprentice to his father, who was a timber farmer and sawmill operator.[3]

Career[edit]

Early years and life[edit]

In 1920, Estes moved to a 100-acre farm that his father had purchased near Chase City, Virginia. Estes began farming cotton, raising livestock, and producing eggs and butter.[4][5]

Estes Express Lines[edit]

Main article: Estes Express Lines

In 1931 during the height of the Great Depression, Estes purchased a used Chevrolet truck and began providing affordable livestock transportation services for local farmers near Chase City, Virginia.[6][7] By the following year, he was able to hire his first driver, and had expanded services to include trucking and hauling general freight.[8] The company continued to grow through the establishment of additional terminals, purchase of new routes, and acquisition of subsidiary trucking companies.[9] The company was formally named "Estes Express Lines" in 1937.[10] In his management style of the company, Estes was fiscally conservative and promoted slow and measured growth.[3][11] During World War II, Estes was able to expand the business through contracts with the U.S. military to transport and deliver military supplies.[3][12]

By the 1950s, the company had over 50 employees with annual revenues of US$695,000, reaching annual revenues of US$1 million by 1957. Estes led the company as president from its founding in 1931 until his death in 1971, when his son Robey assumed the role.[4]

Other activities[edit]

Estes was an elected member of the Mecklenburg County Board of supervisors, serving for 16 years.[4] He also served as a board member of the First Commonwealth Corporation and the Community Memorial Hospital.[13]

Personal life[edit]

Marriages and children[edit]

In December 1919, Estes married Ruth Gladys Berry.[3] They had four daughters and two sons, including:

  • Robey Webb Estes (1921–2006)
  • Charles Edwin Estes (1923–2015)
  • Margaret Estes Hupp (1926–2007)
  • Helen Estes Garland (1929–2003)
  • Mary Estes Speight (1932–2017)
  • Ruth Estes Tanner (1934–2020)

Death[edit]

Estes died of complications from diabetes on June 29, 1971, in Richmond, Virginia.[14] He was buried in Woodland Cemetery. At the time of his death, the company had over 650 employees and grossed $10 million annually.[4]

Legacy[edit]

Estes Express Lines remains in the ownership of the descendants of Estes.[15][16] In 2015, the family was listed as No. 149 in America's Richest Families, with a family net worth US$1.7 billion.[17]

Estes Road and the Estes Community Center in Chase City are both named for Estes.[18]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Company History | Estes Express Lines". www.estes-express.com. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  2. ^ Mall, Scott (April 21, 2022). "FreightWaves Classics: Estes has hauled freight for more than 90 years". FreightWaves. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Dictionary of Virginia Biography – Webb Wallace Estes Biography". www.lva.virginia.gov. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d "W.W. Estes Obituary". Richmond News Leader. June 30, 1971.
  5. ^ Northwest Poultry Journal. Stateman publishing Company. 1924. p. 47.
  6. ^ Reid Blackwell, John. "Estes Express Lines is seeing growth in its freight transportation business and plans to add jobs in 2021". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  7. ^ Traffic World and Traffic Bulletin. Traffic Service Corporation. May 2006. p. 28.
  8. ^ Peters Chambers, Paula. "At Estes Express Lines, employee feedback is key". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  9. ^ "How a coin toss led to e-commerce: Estes exec talks evolution at ALK Summit". Commercial Carrier Journal. May 26, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  10. ^ Hawes, Clarissa (December 14, 2021). "Central Freight confirms Estes Express offering to snap up drivers, buy equipment". FreightWaves. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  11. ^ Appeals, Virginia Supreme Court of (1952). Cases Decided in the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia. Department of Purchase and Supply.
  12. ^ Commission, United States Interstate Commerce (1949). Interstate Commerce Commission Reports: Motor carrier cases. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 447.
  13. ^ "Webb Wallace Estes – Obituary". South Hill Enterprise. July 7, 1971.
  14. ^ "Estes Express Owners Stay Committed to Independence in Merger-Driven Industry". Redorbit. April 12, 2006. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  15. ^ "LTL trucking: Estes positions trailers to ride US import wave". www.joc.com. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  16. ^ Corrigan, Tom (April 26, 2019). "Estes Express to Buy NEMF Affiliates for $15 Million". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  17. ^ "Estes family". Forbes. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  18. ^ "Workforce Development Facilities". Invest in Mecklenburg County, VA. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
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