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UPS Turns 100 and Marks a Centennial of Service
Several years ago, United Parcel Service asked the world, "What can Brown do for you?" Now in 2007, 100 years since Jim Casey and Claude Ryan started their humble business in Seattle, it is evident what Brown has done. A loyal workforce, creativity, and dedication to customer service have efficiently guided the company for the past century.
Jim Casey and Claude Ryan were two teenagers with a lot of imagination. After borrowing a mere $100 to start the business, they begin operating out of a basement, running errands, carrying notes on foot or bicycle, and making home deliveries for drugstore customers.
Casey, for whom the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative is named, eventually helped to expand the business along the Pacific Coast and beyond into an international delivery service, catering to businesses as well as individuals. He once said, "We build our organization around people."
To honor their mother, the Casey siblings—Jim, George, Harry and Marguerite—created the Annie E. Casey Foundation in 1948 to make grants to programs that help disadvantaged children. In 1966, the siblings created an operating foundation, Casey Family Programs, to provide long-term foster care to children in Washington and, eventually, other Western states. At Jim's suggestion, the Annie E. Casey Foundation established Casey Family Services in 1978 to provide long-term foster care to children in Eastern states. Jim had become convinced of the importance of strong families through his interactions with his young messengers. When Jim died in 1983, he left his fortune to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which has since become one of the largest foundations in America. In 2001, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Casey Family Programs collaborated in the founding of the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative to help youth in foster care make successful transitions to adulthood.
United Parcel Service is marking this momentous anniversary by honoring its past accomplishments while focusing on future endeavors.
And in a digital world, what better way to showcase 100 years of commitment and service than to go virtual? UPS has launched a lively web site packed with upcoming events and promotions, photo galleries and biographical information about the history of the company. Where else can you "tour" a UPS truck, read the company's 1929 marketing books, and download a fun coloring book for kids? You also can personalize your computer with colorful UPS wallpaper and stock up on UPS centennial memorabilia, such as your very own die-cast replica of the Ford Model, modeled just like the first delivery truck UPS used. UPS also invites customers and employees to upload and share photos, videos and stories on the site.
However, the festivities don't stop there. In addition to the site, UPS has organized the first-ever Centennial Global Tour for employees, retirees, friends and customers to commemorate the milestone by visiting various cities and involving the community in a number of activities. The tour combines innovation and education with interactive displays, games, historical timelines all built inside a tractor-trailer. The event is aimed at further establishing employee pride and customer relations across the world.
At the launch of the Centennial tour in January, UPS chairman and CEO Mike Eskew began the year-long celebration by thanking company employees in New Orleans for their dedication to restoring services after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city two years ago.
Eskew is confident that the next 100 years will be just as successful for UPS because of its continued commitment to good business practices, customer service and new technological innovations.
Interested in viewing UPS turning 100? Visit www.100ups.com.
