Thursday Open Line


A company founded in Seattle this month some decades ago has grown into a global titan in its industry.  Its business isn’t web-based retailing, building aircraft, or brewing coffee.  United Parcel Service began in 1907 as the American Messenger Company, founded by 19-year old Jim Casey for deliveries around Seattle on foot, or on bicycles.  The expanding company became UPS in 1930, and today commands a fleet of 237 aircraft and about 105,000 motor vehicles.   While UPS is the world’s largest delivery company, it has plenty of competitors in the U.S. The 4,400 local delivery, and 9,400 inter-urban courier and shipment establishments do a combined $70-billion of business annually. Profile America is in its 20th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.