United Parcel Service, Inc. (also commonly known as UPS) NYSE: UPS is the world's largest package delivery company, delivering over 13 million packages a day to over 200 countries around the world. It has recently expanded its operations to include logistics and other transportation-related areas. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
UPS is well-known for its brown trucks, also known as package cars. The color brown that UPS uses on its vehicles and uniforms is called Pullman brown after the railroad sleeper cars created by George Pullman which used the same color.
Major competitors include United States Postal Service, FedEx, and DHL. Historically UPS only faced competition from the US Postal service for the inexpensive ground based delivery market. However, FedEx recently expanded into the ground market by acquiring RPS (originally Roadway Package System) and rebranded it as FedEx Ground. In addition, DHL acquired Airborne Express. This acquisition significantly increases DHL's presence in the USA which will add more competition to the ground delivery market.
Brief history
- 1907 - American Messenger Company was founded by James E. Casey in Seattle, Washington. The company delivered messages and small packages in the Seattle area.
- 1913 - Merger with Evert McCabe, company renamed Merchant Parcel Delivery.
- 1919 - Renamed United Parcel Service and expands to Oakland, California
- 1961 - Familiar shield logo designed by Paul Rand introduced.
- 1975 - UPS completes exapansion to all 48 contiguous states in the United States. UPS also begins International service to Canada.
- 1997 - On August 4, 185,000 Teamsters union UPS hourly employees walked off the job after contract negotiations stalled. UPS was effectively shut down for 16 days and lost a great deal of business to competitors. This was the first nationwide strike at UPS, although there had been numerous localized strikes in the past.
- 1999 - UPS changes from a private to publicly traded company. At the time, it was the largest Initial Public Offering in United States history.
- 2001 - UPS buys Mail Boxes Etc., a company primarily in the business of package shipping, receiving, and mailbox services, and renames the stores The UPS Store.
- 2003 - On March 25, UPS unveiled a new worldwide branding program including a new logo, web site and the redesign of all 66,000 UPS vehicles. The slogan "Synchronizing the World of Commerce" is introduced.
Chief Executives
- 1907 - 1962 James E. Casey
- 1962 - 1972 George D. Smith
- 1972 - 1973 Paul Oberkotter
- 1973 - 1980 Harold Oberkotter
- 1980 - 1984 George Lamb
- 1984 - 1990 John W. Rogers
- 1990 - 1997 Kent C. "Oz" Nelson
- 1997 - 2001 James P. "Jim" Kelly
- 2002 - Present Mike Eskew
See also
- MaxiCode - The new square barcode like symbols appearing on UPS packages
- Charles McKinley