United Parcel Service (UPS), the world’s largest package delivery company, is currently celebrating 100 years of service.

In 1907, in a tiny Seattle office on the US Pacific coast, two teenagers named Jim Casey and Claude Ryan began the American Messenger Company with a $100 loan.

These humble beginnings one century ago were the first days of UPS. Serving more than 200 countries and territories, UPS now operates the world’s eighth-largest airline, a fleet of almost 92,000 vehicles and offers an ever-expanding array of supply chain services.

The company is one of the world’s largest employers; there are now 427,000 UPSers around the world.

 “Today, on our 100th anniversary, we celebrate the people of UPS who have contributed to our shared success throughout the years, from drivers in Hamburg to pilots in Hong Kong and everyone in between,” said Mike Eskew, chairman and CEO of UPS.

“UPS’s success is the result of the combined efforts of thousands of UPS employees who share a deep commitment to our customers. It is their dedication that will carry UPS well into our next century.”

UPS (UAE) began operations more than 10 years ago and quickly established itself as one of the leading package delivery and logistics solution providers. More recently, the company has extended its express operations by opening its largest-ever facility to accommodate the rise in demand for express delivery and logistics solutions in the emirates.

Currently UPS has more than 16 aircraft that fly in and through the Dubai air hub from Europe (Cologne, Germany) and Asia (Hong Kong, China, Philippines) every week, carrying goods and packages assigned for delivery in the Middle Eastern, African, European and Asian markets. 

UPS began operating in Europe in 1976 by establishing a domestic ground service in the former West Germany. UPS Europe began its journey with 211 employees, 120 package cars and 67 customers.

UPS Europe - which includes all of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, a total of 120 countries and territories – now employs a workforce of over 35,000, supported by a fleet of approximately 8,000 vehicles and over 35 aircraft using
over 1,500 points of access and delivering to practically every address on the continent.

“Jim Casey was known for saying, ‘Our horizon is as distant as our mind’s eye wishes it to be,’ said John Tansey, country manager, UPS (UAE). “If we stay close to this sentiment, UPS is certain to innovate, grow and succeed for another 100 years.”

Operating on a global business platform, UPS consists of seven offices in Dubai with branch offices in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Oman, Sharjah, Kuwait and Lebanon. –TradeArabia News Service