Arkansas Motor Freight (AMF) Terminal

Arkansas Best Corporation, headquartered in Fort Smith, Arkansas, is a diversified transportation holding company. The origins of Arkansas Best Corporation begin with those of its largest subsidiary, ABF Freight System, Inc. ABF was established in 1923, operating in and around Fort Smith, Arkansas as OK Transfer. By the time the "grandfather clause" of the landmark ICC Act of 1935 went into effect, the company had acquired and was operating as Arkansas Motor Freight, running routes to and from Fayetteville and Texarkana, Arkansas, and Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri.

Mr. Robert A. Young Jr.

Following the purchase of Best Motor Freight in 1957, the company's name was changed to Arkansas-Best Freight System, Inc., the name it operated under until the official name change to ABF Freight System, Inc. in 1980.

ABF became a nationwide carrier in the seventies, with the acquisition of authority in New England, the Southeast and a portion of the Great Lakes region in the early part of the decade and with a major acquisition of authority on the West Coast and in several western states in 1978. The acquisition of Navajo Freight Line that year lifted the company from 25th to 9th in size among the nation's top ten regulated interstate motor freight carriers.

Revenue Growth Chart & Tables

The carrier's product portfolio includes TimeKeeper®, a guaranteed service for expedited and time-definite shipments; TurnKey®, a customized delivery, unpacking, and set-up service; Reverse Logistics, a service for planning, implementing, and controlling the flow of materials and related information back through the supply chain; Freight Value®, a brokerage service for shipments requiring special equipment or handling; Global Supply Chain Services, an Asian focused non vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) providing purchase order management and logistics management, with web-based visibility; U-Pack Moving®, a self-load household goods moving service; and Trade Show, a special service for transporting exhibit materials. The company's Web site, abf.com, is ranked among the best 50 of all sites by CIO magazine and the top 10 Web sites by BtoB magazine.

Arkansas Best Corporation

U.S. Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt, Robert A. Young Jr. and U.S. Congressman Wilbur Mills at Arkansas Best Corporation's Open House - September 1971

In 1966, the principals of ABF organized and incorporated the company as Arkansas Best Corporation, a holding company with ABF becoming its largest subsidiary. On December 20, 1972, Arkansas Best Corporation became a listed stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ABZ". At the time, Arkansas Best was one of only two Arkansas-based companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Its primary subsidiaries included ABF, Riverside Furniture Corporation, Data-Tronics Corp., Arkansas Bandag Corporation (later to become Treadco Inc.) and National Bank of Commerce of Dallas.

Arkansas Best officials Robert A. Young III (left center) and Tom Harper (right center) are joined by two stock exchange officials on Arkansas Best's first NYSE trading day - December 20, 1972

In May 1988, Arkansas Best Corporation was the subject of a hostile takeover attempt by a corporate raider. The company turned back the unwelcome takeover by partnering with a "white knight" company, Kelso & Company. Kelso conducted a leveraged buyout of Arkansas Best Corporation and the company once again went private in October 1988. Due to the superior performance of the company in the years following the buyout, Arkansas Best's management paid off all debt well ahead of schedule. All shares owned by Kelso & Company were repurchased in May 1992 as Arkansas Best Corporation's initial public offering once again made them a publicly traded company, this time on the NASDAQ stock exchange trading under the symbol of "ABFS".

In March 1995, Arkansas Best Corporation completed construction of a beautiful new five-story, 196,000 square foot facility. The new building provides employees with a professional and productive work environment that doesn't sacrifice the comfortable, relaxed, family-like atmosphere that has made the company so successful. The building sits on 40 heavily wooded acres, complete with walking trails and shopping.

In July 1995, Arkansas Best Corporation announced the signing of an agreement providing for the merger of Arkansas Best Corporation and WorldWay Corporation. Much like Arkansas Best, WorldWay was a transportation holding company whose largest subsidiary, Carolina Freight Carriers Corporation, was a direct competitor of ABF. As previously discussed, in late September 1995, Arkansas Best consolidated the motor carrier operations of Carolina Freight and another WorldWay subsidiary, Red Arrow Freight Lines, Inc., into those of ABF. The combination took its toll on the company's bottom line through the remainder of 1995 and 1996. Arkansas Best Corporation returned to consistent profitability beginning in 1997.

Today, Arkansas Best Corporation consists of three primary subsidiaries. In addition to ABF Freight System, Inc. which represents over 90% of total corporate revenues, the other primary subsidiaries are FleetNet America, Inc. and Data-Tronics Corp. FleetNet is a third-party vehicle maintenance company offering road rescue service, matching commercial fleet repair needs with appropriate repair vendors. Data-Tronics provides information technology services to Arkansas Best Corporation and its other subsidiaries.

Robert A. Young III

Mr. Robert A. Young III

In 1964, Robert A. Young III began work for the company as the Supervisor of Terminal Operations of Arkansas-Best Freight System, Inc. Throughout the following years, Robert managed Arkansas Best's data processing subsidiary Data-Tronics beginning in 1965, served as Senior Vice President for Arkansas Best's subsidiary National Bank of Commerce of Dallas beginning in 1967 and was Vice President, Finance for Arkansas Best Corporation beginning in 1970. In late 1973, following his father's death in August, Robert was named President and Chief Operating Officer of Arkansas Best Corporation.

In 1979, Robert was also named President of ABF Freight System, Inc., a position he held until 1994. The fifteen years that Robert A. Young III led ABF were a time of constant growth and change for the company as it navigated through the early-eighties deregulation of the trucking industry, absorbed its two largest acquisitions to-date and grew its annual revenues from $186 million in 1979 to over $900 million in 1994.

In 1988, during the transition of the company following the hostile takeover attempt, Robert A. Young III added the duties of Chief Executive Officer of Arkansas Best Corporation to his title of President. In July 2004, Mr. Young added the title of Chairman of the Board of Arkansas Best Corporation to his duties as President and Chief Executive Officer.

In January 2005, Robert A. Young III gave up the presidency of Arkansas Best Corporation while continuing as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the company. Effective on January 31, 2006, Robert A. Young III retired from his position as Arkansas Best's Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Young continues as the Chairman of Arkansas Best's Board of Directors.

Throughout his tenure of over 40 years with the company, Robert A. Young III has successfully guided Arkansas Best Corporation through both the good and the challenging times. Arkansas Best Corporation continues to display the characteristics of integrity and honesty that began with Robert A. Young Jr. and continue today as a result of the impact of Robert A. Young III.

Robert A. Davidson

Mr. Robert A. Davidson  (Photo by Jon D. Kennedy)

Robert A. Davidson served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Arkansas Best Corporation from February 2006 through December 2009. He was named to the Arkansas Best Corporation Board of Directors in December 2004. During his career, Mr. Davidson served the company in various areas including as ABF's Vice President of Pricing from 1982 until early 2003 and as ABF's Vice President of Marketing from 1997 until early 2003, when he was named President of ABF Freight System, Inc. Robert A. Davidson retired from the company and from the Board of Directors in December 2009.

"Throughout Bob Davidson's nearly 38 years with our company, he has been instrumental in helping to successfully guide Arkansas Best and ABF through dramatic changes in our company and in the the trucking industry," said Robert A. Young III, Arkansas Best Chairman. "ABF's reputation for providing a high level of service and significant value in the marketplace is built on the foundation that Bob Davidson has helped establish over years. We will miss his leadership and guidance and regret his decision to take an early retirement. His service to our company is greatly appreciated," said Mr. Young.

Judy R. McReynolds

Ms. Judy R. McReynolds

Ms. McReynolds was named Arkansas Best's President and Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2010. In addition, Ms. McReynolds was named to the Arkansas Best Corporation Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2010. Ms. McReynolds served as Arkansas Best's Senior Vice President - Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer from February 2006 through December 2009. She served as Vice President - Controller of Arkansas Best Corporation from January 2000 until January 2006. She also served as the Controller of the Company from July 1998 until December 1999.

Ms. McReynolds joined the Company as Director of Corporate Accounting in June 1997. She has 10 years of public accounting experience, the last five of which were with Ernst & Young LLP in Little Rock, Arkansas. During her time at Ernst & Young, Ms. McReynolds served as a Senior Manager on the Arkansas Best account and also served a number of other companies in the transportation industry. For two years prior to joining Arkansas Best, Ms. McReynolds was employed with another publicly held transportation company.  Ms. McReynolds is a Certified Public Accountant. Ms. McReynolds is a native of Norman, Oklahoma and a 1985 graduate of the University of Oklahoma.