It was the height of the Great Depression in 1934 when Joseph Cory drove his first truck onto the streets of Brooklyn, New York, to deliver a stove. With little opportunity for formal education, the first-generation Italian-American had left school after eighth grade to join his brother in supporting the family. A very hard worker and an excellent salesman, it was clear early on that he had tremendous vision for growing his business.
Now 75 years later, the third-generation family-owned and operated business that is America’s No. 1 home delivery company is celebrating its diamond anniversary. Festivities commemorating the event held recently at the Meadowlands Plaza Hotel in New Jersey are shown in the accompanying photo.
Adhering to Joseph Cory’s commitment to quality and high standards as it continues to grow, CORY has a client list that includes many of the top 100 furniture, appliance, and electronics retailers in the nation. Headed by sons Joe and Jim Cory, the organization is today managed by grandsons Kevin and Patrick Cory, along with industry veterans Bob Alter, Odeh Ahmad, Pat Trinca, and Marin Dragojevic.
“As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, transitioning to third-generation family leadership and innovation are keys to continuing success in serving retailers nationwide,” says Joe Cory, Sr., son of founder Joseph Cory.
To maintain its competitive advantage, CORY has recruited some of the best professionals in the home delivery arena. The company has undertaken major initiatives, including the demountable warehouse-on-wheels program for retailers to cover wide delivery areas and investing heavily in IT to increase efficiencies and improve service. This includes state-of-the-art routing programs to help reduce fuel costs and increase density and smart phones on delivery vehicles to track orders and automatically update clients and customers with real -time
delivery information. Additionally, CORY has created quality delivery programs, including “The CORY Way”
that measures delivery services daily and the Best of the Industry safety program, headed by former Virginia State Police Officer Scott Roberts, C.T.P.
The company is dedicated to the founding principles that Joseph Cory established 75 years ago: quality delivery and warehousing, respect for the men and women who provide these services, and always being there for customers.
"As my grandfather would often say, in our business there are only two things of importance,” says Patrick Cory. “One is the customer, and the other is the furniture. If you take care of customers, they come back. If you take care of the furniture, it doesn’t. It’s just that simple — and just that difficult.”
CORY has grown significantly from its humble beginnings in 1934 and today is comprised of more than 1,200 dedicated team members and delivery professionals. The team is committed to customer satisfaction every step of the way, from receiving product in the building through driving away from homes of satisfied customers.
“We look forward to continuing to serve the retail industry and hopefully, being here for the next 75 years,” says Patrick Cory.
Background
One of the oldest and largest specialized home delivery carriers in America, CORY Home Delivery, founded by Joseph Cory in 1934, today is in its third generation of family management and ownership. Based in Secaucus, New Jersey, the company serves many of the top 100 furniture, appliance, and electronics retailers in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The company dispatches a modern fleet of 500 customized vehicles daily delivering more than $2.1 billion of consumer products to more than 1.6 million consumers annually. For more information, call Patrick Cory at 201-795-1000, or visit corycompanies.com.
Photo: Leading CORY Home Delivery into the future are senior management team members gathered to celebrate the company’s 75th Anniversary.