About AARID
Our Company’s Story
From Humble Beginnings: A Portrait of the American Dream
According to the Dailey siblings, owners of Aarid Enterprise and Aarid Global Trade, they always knew where they’d work when they grew up. “From the time we were kids until the day we started working for Aarid, there was never a dinner conversation that did not include the topic of the family’s business. Aarid was like another child to our father; he loved the business and we grew up learning about the industry long before we ever joined the company,” claims the company’s executive team…Bill Dailey, and sisters, Lee Lewis and Anita Knapp.
The Dailey family takes great pride in the history of their business, now enjoying the 4th generation of leadership. The family’s rise to success takes a page from the promise of the American Dream…fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit, self-reliance and a tireless work-ethic.
Back in the 1930’s depression era, the family’s patriarch, Harry Dailey, founded a sidewalk to sidewalk moving company to supplement the pay he earned as a railroad engineer. Harry’s wife, Katherine, acted as the dispatcher when her husband was out on the road. It was during this time that Harry’s son, Donald Dailey, began to explore his interest in the moving business. In 1943, Donald Dailey married his sweetheart, Lillian, and together, the two teenagers bought their own truck for $500. And the young family’s first “baby” was born.
Donald named his company Aarid, inspired by the word “arid,” a promise to keep goods dry during transport. Then, to gain the first spot in alphabetical advertising, added the second “a,” thus Aarid. Today the family still chuckles over the origination of their name, but remains committed to their family’s ingenuity and promise of quality service.
“Our father just had an amazing work ethic. In those early days, our mom and dad rented a row-house in Baltimore, and our mom took calls from customers and managed the house while our dad drove the truck. Later, they purchased several neighboring homes on South Hanover Street in Baltimore. Those row houses were restructured and used for storing goods before transport, and our parents began the process of establishing a warehousing and logistics business,” the Dailey siblings remember.
“Today, “says Anita Knapp, who steers the helm of the company’s procurement division, “at 82, our dad takes so much pride watching the business continue to thrive as we welcome our own children on board. We match their gifts and talents with diverse roles in the company; and now they’re the ones wondering if they’ll ever get to talk about anything besides Aarid at the dinner table!”
The Vision Continues
Over the years, the family and their business have earned an excellent reputation, and have emerged as a major force in the arenas of global logistics, procurement and freight forwarding. But they remain committed to keeping the business family-owned, as together they continue to embrace growth, new technology and emerging global markets.
