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When Katrina hit, like many people, I was deeply affected by what was going on there. Although I live in Atlanta and work at the UPS Corporate office, I felt like I needed to do something. So when I received an e-mail asking for volunteers to reopen the New Orleans package facility, I jumped at the opportunity. I left the day after Thanksgiving, about two months after the storm.
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Five Years Later – Remembering My Time in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina
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UPS in the Game
UPS is now the official package delivery and logistics sponsor of the Southeastern Conference and SEC events. I had a chance to talk with Doug Gibeaut, director of sponsorships and events at UPS.
Beyond Katrina: Saluting The Spirit of UPS People
In early October of 2005, I went to New Orleans, just five weeks after Hurricane Katrina, to document the stories of the UPSers who were working so hard to get their lives and UPS’s business up and running again. I witnessed many images that will stick with me….the mountainous piles of debris on every corner….the black hearses parked in a grassy median (apparently in an attempt to avoid the flooding), all lined up and pointing directly to the Superdome and its partially destroyed roof. And the images of UPSers faces … people hurting, struggling, but fighting to regain their lives. In the six days I spent in New Orleans, I learned a great deal about our company and our people. I hope the video that resulted from my trip, Beyond Katrina: Saluting The Spirit of UPS People, adequately captured the heart and soul of what makes UPS people great.
UPS Founders’ Day … Celebrating 103 Years of Promises
In 1907, Jim Casey and Claude Ryan started American Messenger Company in a Seattle, Wash., basement office space. The two young entrepreneurs and their employees delivered messages to people throughout the day and night. Early on, the company strived to distinguish itself through customer service and team work.
That company eventually became UPS. On August 28, UPSers around the world celebrate Founders’ Day to remember what we have accomplished and what we have still to achieve. UPS has survived 21 recessions, a great depression, world wars and natural disasters. Our goal has never been to simply endure these challenging times, but to learn from the lessons of adversity and to thrive. For all that we have accomplished, we owe our success to the trust of our customers and the dedication of our employees.
Here Comes UPS Freight
Kewill, a company providing integrated shipping options, has recently added UPS Freight capabilities to its offering. As director of product management for Kewill’s shipping products, Peter Starvaski is responsible for defining the product road maps for Kewill’s Clippership and Flagship products.
Has Your Company Expanded Globally?
UPS and World Trade 100 magazine want to recognize one U.S.-based small- to medium-sized business (SMB) that is using exporting as a competitive advantage. Through the Growth through Global Trade award, we are searching for an innovative company that has grown its global presence and connected with customers around the world.
The winning company will receive a feature story in World Trade 100 magazine and a custom-made plaque. Anyone can submit a nomination by completing the online form and writing a 200-word essay about the company’s global growth.
Where are they now? Life After Integrad.
Impressive. Innovative. INTENSIVE! These are all words that have been used to describe UPS Integrad®, the driver training program that combines technology, hands-on experience and real-time feedback to get new driver candidates ready for the road.
The program started three years ago at the first training site in Landover, Md., the result of extensive research on differences in learning style among multiple generations. Based on the retention rate and performance of new drivers who went through the first Integrad facility, UPS opened a second facility this summer just outside Chicago.
UPS Customer Helps Students See The Forest Through The (Rental) Fees
Could a pricing gun be wielded as a weapon? When I was a poor college student, I thought so every semester at book-buying time.
I knew $60 for the new edition of the medieval history textbook was a ripoff. As an honors student, I was pretty sure medieval history hadn’t changed in, like, a thousand years.
Then there was the business class where we had to buy a $50 textbook at the beginning of the semester – just to tide us over until the professor’s own text came out at mid-term, at another $50. The good news is, both books said pretty much the same thing, so at least our professor knew what he was talking about!
After tuition and living expenses, textbooks are often the single largest cost for college students. Hundreds of dollars a semester are the norm. One former Iowa State University student, Aayush Phumbrha, was so unhappy with the high cost of textbooks that he decided to do something about it. He launched a business.
The Results Are In
UPS Freight Driver Clarence Jenkins led his company drivers into the Columbus (Ohio) Convention Center this past week at the National Truck Driving and Step Van Championships and led them across the finish line Saturday night in a competition that saw 415 drivers with a combined 53 million accident-free miles vying for top honors in this “Super Bowl of Safety.”
Thirteen UPS and UPS Freight drivers, all state champions and none more seasoned than Jenkins, were among those competing in nine separate divisions, testing drivers in on-course maneuvering skills, pre-trip inspections and written exams covering safety regulations and responsibilities.
Why Do I Give?
Half of one person’s joy is the experiencing of another person’s joy; when you make someone happy, it makes you happy, too. When you give, you’re both giving and receiving, which is far more rewarding than just receiving.
I’d like to share with you reasons as to why I volunteer with United Way. My hope is that you’ll be encouraged to join the many UPSers across the country to make a difference in the lives of others (if you haven’t done so already).
