Seattle-Based Expeditors International Posts Higher Profit in Fourth Quarter.

Byline: Drew DeSilver

Feb. 13--Expeditors International of Washington, a global logistics company, posted higher profits in the last three months of 2001, despite a worldwide economic slowdown and fallout from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The Seattle-based company -- which buys and sells freight space on planes and ships and provides other services to get goods from Point A to Point B -- made $27.1 million in the fourth quarter, up 4.5 percent from $25.9 million in the same period in 2000.

The improvement came despite a 7.9 percent decrease in the company's year-over-year gross revenues -- to $429.6 million from $466.3 million -- mainly because …