Circle International Inc history

Circle International's origins can be traced back to 1898, when Fred Harper founded a customs brokerage in San Francisco.

In 1906 an earthquake devastated San Francisco and destroyed Harper Co.'s original office.

As the company grew steadily (and was considered one of the leading customs brokers on the West Coast by 1921), the young messenger boy, Robinson, gradually assumed greater duties at the company.

In 1936, the “Circle K House” at Washington State College was established by the Kiwanis Club of Pullman, Washington.

By 1940 he had taken over the role of company president from F.F.G. Harper, who had retired.

As part of their vision for growth, Harper Robinson & Co. applied for the IATA freight forwarding license in 1949 and became one of four San Francisco companies to win the honors.

MIF had been founded in 1950 and specialized in serving the apparel industry in the Caribbean and Latin America.

In 1956, a special department was created in the Kiwanis International Office to serve as the International Headquarters for CKI

John Robinson succeeded his father as chairman of the company in 1963.

At home, the company continued to open local offices and by 1969 had 40 offices across the United States.

The company's Circle subsidiary had grown to become the third largest international freight forwarder. "Going overseas was unbelievably tough," said Marty Collins who joined in 1970 as Harper's new controller. "Every country was different.

In 1972 the company acquired a freight forwarding subsidiary, J.R. Michaels, and inaugurated an internal computer system, HARPRCON, that proved instrumental in supporting its overseas expansion.

In 1974, Harper opened offices in Sao Paolo, Brazil; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Beirut, Lebanon.

Company founder James R. Crane, who had been a baseball pitcher in college, earned a degree in industrial safety from Central Missouri State University in 1976.

In 1977, Harper Group made an initial public offering on the NASDAQ exchange.

In 1981, he was appointed senior vice-president, but left the company three years later to purchase and run Darrell J. Sekin Transport Co., a bankrupt trucking firm in Texas.

Crane then founded Eagle USA Airfreight in Houston in March 1984 at the relatively young age of 30, with $10,000 borrowed from his sister.

Harper also responded by opening branch offices around the globe, and by 1988 had opened offices in Egypt, Scotland, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Peru, Colombia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, France, India, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Haiti, Trinidad, and Puerto Rico.

Gilbert returned that company to profitability, and in 1991, when Harper bought Sekin for $21 million, Gilbert took on a senior management position with the firm.

In 1992, USC Circle K club members assisted the Daily Trojan in disseminating information about final examinations when campus shut down because of the Los Angeles Riots.

Nonetheless, the company completed a financial reorganization in 1993, and liquidated its real estate holdings, primarily warehouses, valued at $80 million total.

In 1994, the company underwent a major reorganization plan, divesting its 20 percent stake in Intercargo, a cargo insurance underwriter, and consolidated Circle Airfreight Corp. and Harper Robinson & Co. into Circle International, its primary operating subsidiary.

Eagle went public on the NASDAQ in November 1995 (ticker symbol EUSA), raising $30 million.

In June 1996 James A. McKinney, former Navy fighter pilot and president of Fed Ex Logistics Services, was appointed president of Harper Group.

Eagle USA opened offices in Asia later in 1998.

In October 1999, Eagle's USA Airfreight began doing business as EGL Eagle Global Logistics.

Hensel, Bill, Jr., "A Powerful Combination," JoC Week, July 17, 2000.

EGL laid off 300 workers in January 2001, owing to a softer economy and disappointing earnings.

EGL acquired Miami International Forwarders (MIF) in the spring of 2003. It had 275 employees and revenues of $23.6 million in 2002.

EGL acquired Miami International Forwarders (MIF) in the spring of 2003.

The rebuilding of Iraq was expected to create a demand for air freight at least until 2007.

Becoming the first elected district officer from USC Circle K in 16 years, Allen Pham '19 made club history when he was elected to serve as the Metro Division Lieutenant Governor for the 2016-17 year.