FedEx ups game in dividends, salaries

FedEx spent $21.5 billion on employee salaries and benefits, increased shareholder dividends nearly 54 percent to $426 million, and gave $55 million to charity last year.

Those were highlights of a 2018 Global Citizenship Report, released Thursday, that details the Memphisbased company’s economic impact, environmental initiatives and efforts to give back to communities.

Here are some numbers from the budget year ending last May 31:

❚ $60.3 billion in revenues, up 20 percent.

❚ $9.1 billion in diverse supplier spend, down slightly from $9.2 billion in 2016.

❚ 2.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions avoided by company-wide energy-saving initiatives, compared to 2005 baseline year.

❚ More than 177 million gallons of jet fuel saved through aircraft fleet modernization and other programs.

❚ Nearly 300 electric vehicles added to fleet, bringing the total to more than 2,100. ❚ 425,000-plus employees. ❚ 88 percent of full-time U.S. team members retained.

❚ 19 hours formal training on average per employee.

❚ $12.7 million in tuition assistance to more than 5,600 employees.

❚ 12 percent improvement in preventable, recordable vehicle accident rate.

❚ 111,200 hours volunteered by employees, equivalent of nearly 14,000 eight-hour days.

“Repeatedly, customers tell us they want to do business with companies who strive to make the world a better place,” FedEx Corp. president and chief operating officer David J. Bronczek said in a release. “But even more importantly, we believe it is our responsibility to set the standard for what a good corporate citizen provides its team members, customers and communities all over the world.”