Established: 1993

Location: P.O. Box 879008, Wasilla, AK 99687

Telephone: 907-373-3278

E-mail: kidcurry@gci.net

Focus of the service: Kidd Curry Courier Service specializes in hauling freight between the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and Anchorage area, said company President Scott Bower. With a fleet of five vehicles ranging in size from a minivan to a box truck, the company is able to haul anything from parcel packages to 40,000 pound shipments. Vehicles are also equipped for highway advertising, where customers can have a sign placed on any of the fleet. At the highest point of their season, the company will log about 200 stops per day and drive between 800 and 1,000 miles.

History of the company: Scott Bower, a truck driver by trade, got involved in the courier business after he tore a rotator cuff in his shoulder. A friend who worked for a Valley courier company introduced Bower to the career during his convalescence.

At the time, hiring a courier to move freight from Anchorage to the Mat-Su cost about as much as shipping it from Seattle to Anchorage, Bower said. He realized that there was a need for low-cost, high-quality shipping between the two boroughs, and Kidd Curry was born.

In 1993, Bower bought a Subaru and started making delivery runs between the Valley and Anchorage. Within two years, the single-vehicle effort had "mushroomed" into a three-person company that required a box vehicle, Bower said.

"I went from crawling to walking really quickly," he said. "I wanted to make it cheaper for you to have us haul your freight then to do it yourself."

Bower also set a personal standard that any client or offer that was accepted would be delivered by a stated time. If a shipment is going to be delayed or is not possible, someone within the company will contact the client, Bower said.

As Kidd Curry's reputation grew, so did its business. At the highest point, a fleet of eight vehicles was working up to 17 hours each day, Bower said.

"It got to be chaotic," he said. Today, the company has downsized, but managed to keep its more than 750 customers.

Major accomplishments: Bower said the company's reputation is a testament to its accomplishments. He is also proud that all three of his children are actively involved in running and managing the family company, and each seems interested in staying involved into the years ahead.

Major players: Scott Bower, the president of the company, and his wife, Secretary-Treasurer Kelly Bower, head up a team of seven. Their oldest son, 22-year-old Travis, is the lead driver and foreman, and has plans to take over the company in the coming years. Other active family members include their nephew, 15-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter.

--Regan Foster