Ryder Celebrates 75 Years

Ryder System last week celebrated 75 years in business at its headquarters in northwestern Miami-Dade.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Miami-Dade Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz, former Miami Dolphins player Nat Moore, and local business leaders joined Ryder Chairman and CEO Greg Swienton and company employees in celebrating Ryder's anniversary.

The Ryder Charitable Foundation presented Nat Moore, former Miami Dolphins player and founder of The Nat Moore Foundation, with a $5,000 check for his foundation's efforts promoting higher education for youth living in urban communities. Two scholarships of $2,500 each were awarded to local students Jespere Jean and Rokeshia Ashley of Miami Edison Senior High, the alma mater of both Moore and Ryder founder Jim Ryder, who graduated from Edison in 1932.

"This day is meant to celebrate those who have played such an integral part in our success over the years - our employees, our customers, our suppliers and our community," said Greg Swienton, Ryder chairman and chief executive officer.

Ryder's roots trace back to the days of the Great Depression in 1933, when a teenager named Jim Ryder made a $35 down payment on a used 1931 Ford Model A truck to haul concrete in Miami Beach. Today, Ryder is a $6.6 billion Fortune 500 business with more than 28,000 employees providing transportation and supply chain management solutions to more than 15,000 customers in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

Ryder also marked its anniversary by displaying a congratulatory message and its commemorative 75th anniversary logo on a 7,400-square-foot screen in New York City's Times Square.