As Drone Express prepares to take flight in Winston-Salem, Owner and CEO Beth Flippo says the sky is the limit for the company. City Editor Cambridge sat down with her ahead of the company’s Sept. 13 ribbon cutting in Winston-Salem to talk about how it started and where it’s going.
Personal passion
Flippo fell in love with programming in high school and overcame the intimidation of being the only girl in the class. Fast forward to today and she’s now one of just a few female CEOs in aviation.
“If I didn’t take that chance and [wasn’t] afraid of being around all guys all the time... that is what really got me here,” Flippo said.
She has a personal and professional background in engineering. Her parents created a defense contracting company in 1984. While working with that company, she helped build a mesh network for drones. That’s where she got the idea for Drone Express.
Getting off the ground
She founded the company in 2021 and started working on earning certifications to fly. The drones are fully autonomous, but must meet the same safety standards as manned aviation. Those stringent requirements led the company to collaborate with AeroX — a Winston-Salem nonprofit installing ground-based radars that can notify of potential flight interference. Flippo says that partnership is only part of the Twin City’s allure.
“Winston-Salem we really love because of the diversity of the city. There’s people from all walks of life. And that’s what we’re trying to see — all ages, all demographics, how is this going to impact all of us and how we live?”
Flippo explains that drones offer a cheaper, faster delivery alternative. Once services launch, subscribers will get unlimited deliveries for $5.99 a month without minimums or tipping, and orders should take about 15 minutes to arrive at your doorstep. Not only will you be able to order just what you need, Flippo says you’ll be able to order better quality items — goods you would find at local retailers if you had the time to visit them.
“A big benefit is the local retailers will finally have a way to fight back against online retailers, which have taken a lot of their business. Most of the stuff we buy is within a mile of our house, we’re all just — myself included — too lazy to go get it.”
Business is buzzing
Flippo believes the bigger impact of drone delivery is that it will build stronger communities and more support for local businesses. She envisions retailers eventually paying a monthly subscription to have their products featured + delivered through the Drone Express app. When it comes to how those goods get to your doorstep, Flippo says drones are just the beginning.
“I think we’re going to be one of the bigger e-commerce companies out there and selling everything. But it’s not just going to be aircraft. I think we’re going to integrate with ground robots. We’re going to integrate with autonomous cars. And you’re going to see this whole shift to be able to get us what we want,” Flippo said. “Get excited for this whole new world that’s coming about.”
Local retailers interested in connecting with Drone Express should reach out to info@droneexpress.com.
