Preface: Entrepreneurial history is always interesting. Here is an abridgment of the history of UPS.

 

James E. Casey – Abridgment of the History of UPS

1907 in Seattle, Washington, an enterprising 19 year old James E. Casey borrowed $100 from a friend and started his own business, American Messenger Company. James had experience in the messenger business, having worked for some of his competitors before launching his own enterprise. Responding to telephone calls from a basement headquarters, Casey’s employees carried trays of food from restaurants, baggage, packages, and delivered messages. In 1907, the company’s largest assets were the bicycles. Casey had a strict business philosophy – be always courteous, be always reliable, with 24 hour service and low rates. Simply: the best service, and lowest rate.

 In 1913 the company acquired its first delivery car, a Model T Ford. By 1916 the company was flourishing, and the color brown was brought to the business from Charlie Soderstom. Soon the three largest of Seattle’s department stores turned their deliver business over to Casey’s and his Merchants Parcel Delivery. In 1919 the company expanded beyond Seattle to Oakland, California and changed its name to United Parcel Service. In 1953 UPS resumed air operations, (first begun in 1929 and ended the same year by the Great Depression).

 

From the 1950’s to 1970’s UPS worked hard to ship freely in all 48 contiguous states with approval from the Interstate Commerce Commission. In 1975 the company obtained the “Golden Link” to serve every address in the 48 contiguous United Stated. In 1977 the Blue Label Air service reached Alaska. In 1999 UPS became a publicly traded company. In 2016 the company has a market cap of $82B.

 Today, UPS delivers international packages to 185 countries and territories, reaching more than 4 billion people. Casey probably never envisioned an $82B market cap, international business, with contacts to virtually every area of globe, resulting from his $100 start-up. He was forced to leave school in 1898, at age 11 to help support his family with a $2.50 a week messenger job, because his fathers health was failing. Casey never forgot what the early years were like for him and his siblings, and left his fortune to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. A foundation he created, dedicated to helping disadvantaged children.

 Next time you see a brown UPS delivery truck, remember, it all began with Casey’s and friends aspiration to pursue the “American Dream”.