Archive
March, 2010

At one time or another, have you wanted to fulfill a dream – earn a degree, run a marathon, visit a distant land – but the thought, “I’m too old,” creeps into your mind?

Well, let me introduce you to Alferd Williams, who will teach you that you are never too old to live your dream.

In 2008, Alferd embarked on a journey to fulfill a lifelong dream to learn how to read.

As the son of sharecroppers, Alferd wasn’t afforded the opportunities that so many of us were as children. At a young age, he worked to help support his family while children his own age were attending school. Determined to keep a promise to his mother, Alferd “enrolled” in Alesia Hamilton’s first-grade class at Edison Elementary School in St. Joseph, Missouri at the age of 70.

One day last year, while researching potential honorees for a literacy award presented by the Toys for Tots Literacy Program (The UPS Store network is the program’s sponsor), we came across Alferd and Alesia.

Once we heard Alferd’s inspiring story, not only did we select him as the first recipient of the award (Aleisia was a co-honoree) but also felt it was appropriate to name the award after him. In order to fully understand Alferd’s commitment and passion to learning and reading, watch the video from last year’s award presentation to witness firsthand Alferd’s remarkable journey toward literacy.

If you know someone like Alferd who has made a difference in the lives of others by doing one or more of the following, consider nominating him or her for the 2010 Alferd Williams Literacy Award:

• Raised awareness of the issue of childhood illiteracy
• Inspired a love of reading among children whose lives are touched by poverty
• Created and/or advanced programs that improve reading skills for at-risk children
• Demonstrated a commitment to ending illiteracy in our nation’s youth

For more information on the Toys for Tots Literacy Program and the Alferd Williams Literacy Award, including the nomination form, official rules and prizes, please visit toysfortotsliteracy.org. Nominations are open through May 31.

To support the Toys for Tots Literacy Program, donate at participating The UPS Store locations or online at www.toysfortotsliteracy.org.

And the next time you say to yourself “I’m too old to do that,” remember Alferd and all that he has accomplished.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ollily/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

The days are getting longer – we have 12 hours of daylight already! That means warmer weather is coming and the snow and ice will soon be melting. Easter must be right around the corner!

Easter in Alaska is always fun and often very exciting. We have a get together each year on a neighbor’s deck. Some years we are wearing light jackets and sunglasses and others, full on winter gear (coats, scarves, mittens, hats and bunny boots). The older kids hide plastic eggs filled with treats for the younger kids. On a snowy Easter, the bright colors against the white snow make the eggs pretty easy to find.

Not too many people are “from” Alaska, though, which means that we will be sending Easter baskets and goodies to our loved ones in the lower 48. We have had many successes over the years and a few, well, not so successful.

Here is what I have learned along the way:

• Don’t send baskets with handles. The box needs to be bigger to accommodate the handle and it is hard to secure the items inside the basket so they will stay in place.
• Tape plastic eggs shut or use Easter stickers to hold them together.
• Don’t send chocolate bunnies to warm places.
• Send hand-made items. You can make really cute baskets out of paint cans or very large food cans. For ideas, visit Kaboose.com
• Make decorative treats using jelly beans or other candies that won’t melt, such as the Jelly Bean Carrots from FamilyFun.com
• Send coloring pages, games or crafts made by children. Visit daniellesplace.com for ideas and templates.
• And finally, never ever send real hardboiled eggs!

For help packing up your baskets and getting them to your loved ones intact and on time, hop on over to your neighborhood The UPS Store and leave it to the packing experts!

UPS’s commitment to helping the recovery in Haiti continues. Ivo Martinez and Francisco Martinez have taken over for John and Bill. Ivo is a UPS Air Cargo supervisor in Miami and Francisco is a Human Resources manager for UPS in Guadalajara, Mexico. 

Ivo explains how he prepared for this assignment and describes his first weeks on the job:

Upon notice of the opportunity to participate in this philanthropic assignment to the Dominican Republic, I first needed a day to discuss the matter with my wife Carla. Imagine telling your spouse you are VOLUNTEERING to spend up to six weeks on a special assignment in a foreign country! It went as well as one can expect. I am very fortunate to have her in my life.  

As I mentally and spiritually prepared for my deployment to the Dominican Republic, I pondered the question of how to explain to my five-year-old son, Patrick, that “Papi” will be gone for a period of up to six weeks.  My son, like many, is a creature of habit so I acclimated him to the notion that I leave every morning to the Dominican Republic and I come home the same night. 

The day I left for the Dominican Republic was a day of goodbyes and hellos. The sun had not risen, when I said goodbye to my wife. As I proceeded to my next, perhaps my hardest farewell, I stood at the door of my son’s bedroom and watched him continue his deep sleep. I whispered “goodbye”, blew him a kiss and walked away.

From those two goodbyes I proceeded to the first of many hellos to come. A hello to a partner I’ve never met, yet knew we would work well together in the WFP’s LETs program. As we arrived in SDQ, our UPS LETs Team predecessors picked us up and took us to the WFP’s headquarters. We were introduced to various members of the WFP and we retrieved our assignments for the next day. John Vera and Bill Torres briefed us on safety, security, and operational procedures. Then they “passed us the baton.”

Operationally, our first assignment seemed like a simple one. As the day progressed and we began encountering problems with the paperwork, I could not help but remember something that my first manager at UPS once told me. “Ivo, we run a simple business at UPS. We move packages from point A to point B. Now in order to do that successfully, the following three things need to take place:

1. Physically move the package. 
2. Move the paperwork.
3. Move the data. 

If any of those three things do no move simultaneously, then we are subject to an interruption in service.” 

It was a successful day, because in the end we moved all three things. Equally as important, we continued the path that John and Bill paved and began establishing our own working relationships with peers, laborers, warehouse owners, and local authorities.

Jan Squire began learning the caddy trade when she was only 13 at Sunningdale Golf Club, UK. Today, she is teamed up with golf champion and UPS brand ambassador Jeev Milkah Singh as part of UPS’s sponsorship of the European Tour, one of the most prestigious golf tours in the world. Recently, I sat down with Jan – one of only two female caddies working on the European Tour – to learn more about her interesting and unique life on and off the course.

Q. You began your caddy training at an early age. What spawned your interest in the profession? Did you ever want to pursue any other career when you were young?

I wanted to be an architect when I was younger but after doing this for pocket money it just carried on from there and I couldn’t picture doing anything else.

Q. Do you play golf? Is this something you do on vacation or is it too much like you are still working?

Yes on occasion – mostly on holiday, it allows me to be sociable with my friends.

Q. What are your responsibilities as a professional caddy? Is there anything you do that might surprise us?

My responsibilities include organising the golf bag, knowing the course and ensuring my player has the food and beverage they require whilst on course.

Q. What do you like most about your job? What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?

I enjoy the caddy comradely and banter/chat with all the players and other caddies.

The biggest challenge must be the constant travel; although it is exciting, it does become tiring and sometimes very lonely.

Q. You’ve been partnered with Jeev Milkah Singh since April, 2008. What’s it like working with him?

He’s very easy going and always a gentleman. 

Q. What kind of guidance or advice do you give Jeev while he’s playing?

We talk about many things including the weather conditions, distance and contours of the course.

Q. As a caddy, you need to be intimately familiar with the various courses where you work. With Jeev playing all over the world, how do you learn the details of so many courses?

We have what is called a “yardage book” for each course which helps us to prepare for a tournament but I always walk the course prior to play in order to familiarise myself with the surroundings.

Q. You’ve worked with several other prominent professional golfers during your career. Please describe some of your more memorable experiences – on or off the links.

There are so many to start thinking about – one of the funniest moments that will always stay with me though was when Mark Roe tried to hit a floating ball in Qatar!

Q. You’re quite unique in that there aren’t many professional women caddies in the world. Is it a profession you would recommend to other women? Why?

Yes.  It’s good fun and I would always encourage a woman to fulfil any career choice including one in such a male environment.

Q. What does it mean for you to wear the UPS logo when you’re on the course?

I’m very proud to have UPS as my sponsor and am grateful for their support.

Q. Beyond wearing the logo, describe some of the other things you’ll be doing throughout the year as an ambassador for UPS’s golf program.

I think I am going to have a busy season both on and off the course!  I am due to talk at a UPS-sponsored Women’s Leadership Development event later in the year, which I am excited about.

Q. What interests/hobbies do you have away from the golf course?

I am equally passionate about photography and skiing and try to do these different hobbies whenever I can.  With my extensive travel commitments, I have managed to create a fantastic photo album!

Q. You travel so much, where is your favourite county and why?

Japan, the people are always so welcoming and friendly.

Q.  What do you miss the most when you are away from home? 

Tea Bags!!! And the basics like bacon, cheese, onion crisps and of course chocolate!!!

Q. What is your favourite cuisine (Chinese, Indian, French)?

Japanese – the flavours and textures can’t be found anywhere else in the world and it is one of the main reasons I look forward to playing over there.

Q. Is there anything special you always have to pack when you travel?

Sun screen!  Being a caddy means spending a lot of time outside.  So even if there is cloud cover you need to make sure your skin is well protected at all times.

Q. Who do you think is the best golfer on the European Tour? Your guess as to who will win the Race to Dubai this year?

Apart from Jeev Milkha Singh, Martin Kaymer is currently showing such potential and is quickly becoming one of the greatest golfers on Tour in my opinion.

If you were to ask people, including – I would bet – most UPSers, where UPS’s most technologically advanced facility outside Kentucky is located, few would answer “Cologne.” Yet this 2,000 year-old German city, probably best known globally for the twin spires of its Gothic cathedral and its contribution to the world of perfume (as in “eau de Cologne”), is also home to UPS’s European air hub, a $135 million flagship facility that is absolutely vital to the smooth running of the company’s worldwide network.

Why Cologne? The Romans knew a good location when they saw one. Back in 80 AD, Cologne, or Colonia Agrippina, became capital of “Lower Germany,” a province of the Roman Empire that also included parts of Belgium and the Netherlands. Many of the same things that made the city a good choice back then make Cologne ideal for UPS in the 21st century: its geographical location at the centre of Western Europe; the relatively stable local weather conditions (that today minimise disruption to air and ground traffic); an available and capable workforce. Nowadays, of course it also happens to be in the centre of Europe’s most prosperous industrialised region with an estimated 30% of European GDP being produced within a 400 kilometre radius of the city. By virtue of their proximity to the hub, all businesses in this area have access to an advantageous express window onto the world.

The UPS hub at Cologne airport is a technological marvel, the company’s largest facility outside the US and in many ways a microcosm of UPS operations worldwide, representing the different spokes that make up its integrated network. Here, air and ground operations come together in perfect harmony. Each night, 36 flights along with some 300 vans and trucks arrive and depart, linking Europe with North America, Asia and other European destinations in a matter of hours.

One night last week I had the privilege of witnessing how all this takes place and I now understand what “state-of-the-art” really means. Looking down through four stories of steel-mesh flooring you can see kilometres of snaking conveyors, tilt-trays and chutes, the futuristic red glow of the latest multi-directional scanning devices… planes and trucks still have to be carefully loaded and unloaded here; technicians monitor every metre of the conveyor system from their NASA-style control room; air controllers keep a close eye on approaching UPS flights via radar. Plenty of people work here (with over 2,300 staff, UPS is the airport’s biggest employer), but what really takes your breath away are the machines and the sheer speed and precision with which they go about their business. 110,000 packages per hour – it’s all in a night’s work.

Like any civilisation keen on expansion, the Romans do have some dubious episodes in their history. They were top-notch engineers, though, and they knew how to pick a spot. For those of you unfamiliar with Cologne, it’s a city whose history speaks for itself, and for UPS it’s a vital link in an integrated network that allows us to offer customers optimal international service in a fast-moving global environment.

The bases are loaded, there are two outs and the game is tied. My son is at bat and it’s starting to rain. It’s the final game leading into the league championship. It doesn’t help that my son is not Derek Jeter. But he gets up there, stares the batting machine in the eye and swings…he misses. The pitcher loads another ball, here it comes, Alex swings… he makes contact. The runners advance and the Middletown Reds win the game! The rain is pouring now, but the boys don’t care because the drama and excitement will be a memory of a lifetime.

This is a true story that will remain among my favorite memories for many years to come. We all have them, but when the dust settles and the memories start to fade, what do you do with all the leftover “stuff?” Well, consider Campus Quilt.

Started as a thesis project for her MBA, President Leigh Lowe launched Campus Quilt in 2000. With only a handful of employees, the company takes t-shirts, hats, baby clothes…anything really, and turns them into a bed spread or quilt. And Leigh depends on UPS. There are three package movements involved in each transaction and they have to be executed flawlessly when you’re dealing with memories.

UPSers John Vera and Bill Torres spent six weeks in the Dominican Republic supporting the World Food Programme’s disaster relief efforts following the January 12th earthquake in Haiti. Here’s a look back from John:

After six extremely grueling weeks, both mentally and physically, Bill Torres and I have come to the conclusion of our Haiti humanitarian mission.  Although we were stationed out of the Dominican Republic, it did not make the work load any less difficult or less stressful. On the contrary, the distance often hampered our goal of getting the goods into an impoverished Haiti quickly and efficiently. Since we orchestrated the logistical moves out of the Santo Domingo airport it was often evident that the need and urgency we felt to deliver the goods was not reciprocated by the locals, especially the owners of the bonded warehouses where the goods were stored.

Just trying to release the goods from the warehouse was probably the most frustrating and time-consuming of the tasks we faced while there. Factor in the political red tape, the enormity of aid to distribute and the initial lack of organization and direction made this assignment an especially challenging one. Yet through all the obstacles we faced daily, Bill and I assisted the World Food Programme (WFP) in the dispatching of 607 truckloads from Santo Domingo to various destinations in Haiti, transporting 1,835 metric tons of food and 14,328m³ of non-food items for 52 different organizations.

I think back at my time here and feel a great sense of accomplishment and pride at what the LET Team has done. The processes we have created, implemented and streamlined will be used by other team members after us and will benefit so many needy people not only for Haiti but also for future LETs volunteers.

Albeit a difficult one, this has been a truly rewarding experience and I am grateful for the opportunity that The UPS Foundation and my family have afforded me in making this possible.  It is gratifying to know that my commitment and sacrifices are acknowledged and appreciated by not only my friends and family, but also by the Directors of the WFP, Unicef, TNT and UPSers alike – this is evident in their praise and commendations. I am so fortunate to be a UPS employee and to have served on not one but two humanitarian missions during my tenure on the LET Team.

I extend my thanks and appreciation to all the WFP staff for their commitment and hard work to make this a successful humanitarian mission. I know they have a long road ahead, but we have, as a team, paved the way in helping rebuild and to render aid to the Haitian people.

Finally, thank you UPS for providing this opportunity in making me a better person and allowing me to make a difference in the world I live in. 

Stay tuned for more updates from Haiti: When John and Bill went home, UPSers Ivo Martinez and Francisco Martinez, stepped into their role helping get aid to Haiti with the WFP. We will share their story here on the upside blog as well.

flickr.com/photos/aellinger / CC BY-ND 2.0

St. Patrick’s Day is actually more widely celebrated than Mardi Gras across the U.S. That confirmation comes from Paul Myers, general manager of Beads by the Dozen, Inc. in suburban New Orleans, who has been tossing a lot of beads into distribution this year. 

The Mardi Gras tradition of beads has prompted increased orders for the homage to the Irish at heart. Over the past five years, Myers says the St. Patrick’s orders have doubled each year and the company’s product inventory itself has greatly expanded. Beads are increasingly being shipped for patriotic holiday parades throughout the year, and Halloween parades are being added to complete community calendars. 

This year, throughout the month of March, there are more than 140 registered St. Patrick’s Day parades held on one of the four weekends of the month. The three largest parades in New York City, Chicago and Savannah stick to the traditional celebration on March 17. 

 
Surprisingly, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was in New York City in 1762 and not in Ireland where the holiday is more of a religious feast day. 

Myers says the concept of throwing trinkets from parade floats emerged with Mardi Gras celebrations in the 1840’s tied to festival customs from the English Renaissance. It has grown considerably beyond traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold. 

About the colors … he noted this year was like no other. The demand was for gold and black as well as fleur-de-lis designs that far surpassed supply. Thanks go to the playoff drive and success of the Super Bowl Champs, the New Orleans Saints. Rush orders had to be placed in China to beat production cutoffs before the Chinese New Year as the Saints’ pushed to the championship. We like to think brown joined in the color of celebration, as express shipments made regular UPS flights direct from China. 

In January alone, Beads by the Dozen had 20 percent growth over its previous year. 

Managing the peak season can be a challenge since Mardi Gras falls on different dates each year. The extension to the St. Patrick’s Day selling season can span as much as six weeks or as little as one week. Myers says next year will bring a “perfect storm.” Mardi Gras culminates with Fat Tuesday on March 8th just a week before St. Patrick’s Day. 

Myers is still surprised that riders can load floats to the point of having nowhere to stand until halfway through the parade when product has been thrown. 

I asked about tossing style – overhand, underhand or multiples in a throw. He shared his experience: “Eye contact should be made with your intended target. You definitely want them to know what is coming to them.”

“Made in USA”. It’s vintage brown and gold, cotton and polyester, features a sewn-in name tag and an embroidered logo: the iconic UPS driver uniform. It’s work wear, functional and straight cut, but with a level of global recognition that even established designers envy. 

Is it overly daring to compare the UPS uniform with haute couture? I think not. Just as a UPS delivery driver in his ‘Browns’ looks immaculate and conforms to a certain house style, so every fashion designer has a signature look that makes his or her creations instantly recognisable.

Why all the interest in fashion? Well, besides the low-level addiction to retail therapy that a few of us may or may not admit to, the fashion industry as a whole is a major consumer of logistics services and a key growth area for our company. Fashions change fast and the world waits impatiently for the latest trends to arrive.

However, UPS’s relationship with fashion goes much deeper than speeding samples around the globe and making sure the high street stays well stocked with the latest must-have item. In keeping with the company’s tradition of innovation and involvement, UPS has participated in a series of programmes alongside renowned fashion and design colleges in the US, Asia and across Europe since 2003.

Here in Europe we have a very special relationship with fashion. Our textile industry has a long tradition of craftsmanship, built on centuries of weaving, sewing, dressmaking and tailoring, while fashion capitals such as London, Paris and Milan are synonymous with the most exquisite styles.

So, starting with New York City and continuing in France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Poland, the UK and China, UPS offered up-and-coming designers the chance to bring their ideas to life in the context of a global organisation, with some decent prize money up for grabs too.

The competition brief: to interpret the UPS uniform, brand and colour palette. Have a look at the video below and see how one of these contests (in this case in Germany) unravelled from start to finish. Check out the photobooks at the UPS fashion portal too. Bet you never thought UPS could be so avant-garde!

So UPS and fashion do have more in common than one would at first imagine. Not only do our drivers’ uniforms keep them warm and dry in the most inclement weather; they also make them a living part of contemporary culture. And as to keeping the frenetic world of fashion and luxury goods moving? Well that’s really just second nature.

With recent weather events crisscrossing the United States, UPS has been in overdrive managing its network to ensure on-time delivery of time sensitive packages. Events such as snow storms, mechanical failures or crew illnesses can cause daily challenges, but its all in a days work for the UPS Airlines contingency team.