United Parcel Service

Founded in 1907 as a messenger company in the United States, United Parcel Service (UPS) has grown into a $36 billion corporation by clearly focusing on the goal of enabling commerce around the globe. Today UPS is a global company with one of the most recognized and admired brands in the world. They have become the world's largest package delivery company and a leading global provider of specialized transportation and logistics services. Every day, they manage the flow of goods, funds, and information in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide (UPS.com, 2006)

UPS, as the world’s largest package delivery company and global leader in supply chain services, recognizes that optimizing business efficiency is essential for companies to cope with increasing management pressures. These expanded services are indicative of UPS’s global strategy to offer its customers a convenient way to streamline their supply chain and improve business performance (UPS.com, 2006)

UPS first went international in 1975 when it offered services within the Canadian city of Toronto. Operations in Germany got underway the next year. However, the 1980s saw UPS enter the international shipping market in earnest, establishing a presence in a growing number of countries and territories in the Americas, Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Pacific Rim. In 1985 UPS started international air service between the United States and six European countries. Then, in 1989, domestic air service was