CLDA’s History
Vision and determination have been a hallmark of CLDA member companies and of the Association itself. This is our story.
In 1987, a small group of industry professionals came to a similar conclusion: their companies – all focused on messenger and courier services – faced similar challenges that were very specific to their sector of the industry. And try as they might to fit in with the established associations for trucking professionals, there wasn’t a group to meet their needs.
This group decided to put aside their apprehensions about sharing information with their competition to see what they could learn from one another. Through this mutual agreement to put a certain level of trust in the individuals once viewed only as competitors, the Messenger and Courier Association of the Americas (MCAA) was born.
The MCAA grew each year as more messenger and courier companies came to see how their businesses could benefit from collaborative efforts in the industry. Four companies became 40 by the second year, and today the association has grown to a membership of over 2,900 logistics professionals, carriers, shippers, drivers, air cargo logistics providers, 3PLs and vendors servicing today’s supply chain companies.
In 2013, the MCAA re-branded as the Customized Logistics and Delivery Association (CLDA) in response to the changing face of the industry. The name CLDA showcases the critical role our members have in the global supply chain, going well beyond their courier roots to meet the growing and changing needs of their customers.
What started as a learning opportunity grew into an active association offering professional development opportunities, education on trends and best practices, and a strong advocacy presence on Capitol Hill and in state houses across the United States.
Meet our current Board of Directors, Committees and award recipients who have, and continue to, shape the future of our industry.
The First Elected MCAA Board of Directors
This photo of the first elected MCAA Board of Directors is from the First Annual Membership Meeting and Supplier Exhibition, April 9-12, 1988 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Tampa, Florida.
Seated (l-r): TREASURER Morley Chandler, Express Messenger Systems, Calgary, Alberta: 2nd VICE PRESIDENT Brad Baumert, Zip Express Courier Service, Louisville, KY; PRESIDENT John J. Storm, Eagle Delivery Service Inc., Weymouth, MA; DIRECTOR Judy Harper, BHT Carriers Ltd., St. Louis, MO; SECRETARY Larry Davis, Inter Cities Courier Systems, Omaha, NE. Standing (l-r); DIRECTORS Richard Thomas, Priority Dispatch, Inc., Cincinnati, OH; William Jacobs, Sonic Courier Systems, Tampa, FL; Bruce Brown, Small Shipment Express, Skokie, IL; EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR George H. Mundell, Alexandria, VA: DIRECTORS Ted Shapiro, Any Time Service Co., East Point, GA; and Jerold I. Perlstein, Bonded Messenger Service, Inc., Milwaukee, WI. Not present: 1st VICE PRESIDENT John Sperry, Quick Delivery, Inc., Lenexa, KS; and DIRECTOR Robert Davis, BSP Transportation, Londonderry, NH.
