NEW YORK, June 26, 2007

"Brown" Celebrates 100th Birthday

UPS Goes From Fledgling Messenger Service To Global Delivery Giant

  • Play CBS Video Video UPS Celebrates 100 Years

    UPS, a company that started out in the era of telegraphs, turns 100 this summer. Anthony Mason reports that despite competition from FedEx, business is going strong.

    • Today, UPS has an air force of nearly 300 planes and is the 8th largest airline in the world.

      Today, UPS has an air force of nearly 300 planes and is the 8th largest airline in the world.  (AP)

    • Soon after founding the American Messenger Company in 1907, Jim Casey began shipping department store packages and changed his company's name to the United Parcel Service.

      Soon after founding the American Messenger Company in 1907, Jim Casey began shipping department store packages and changed his company's name to the United Parcel Service.  (CBS)

    Previous slide Next slide
  • Interactive Eye On The Economy

    In-depth features on U.S. markets, taxes, employment and the Federal Reserve.

(CBS)  Over the past century, UPS drivers have become so familiar that most people know them by the color of the uniform.

"That's all ya hear. 'Hey, what's up, Brown? How ya doin' Brown?'" says UPS driver Raul Modesto.

This summer, “Brown” is marking a major birthday. Yes, UPS is 100 years old, reports CBS News correspondent Anthony Mason.

CEO Mike Eskew, like all his predecessors, came up through the company ranks, delivering packages.

"I delivered with one of these (trucks). I was never really very good at it but I did it," he says.

UPS, which now ships billions of packages around the world, was born in a Seattle basement in 1907, when Jim Casey borrowed 100 bucks to set up the business.

The American Messenger Company delivered telegrams — until the telephone killed that business. So Casey began shipping department store packages, changing the name to the United Parcel Service. By the 1950s, it offered two-day delivery to 48 states. But in the 80s, a challenger arrived.

Federal Express offered the first overnight service. Now, you could "FedEx" it.

"I think FedEx becoming a verb was very disturbing to UPS,” and a rivalry was born, says Mike Brewster, co-author of "Driving Change.”

“It's Coke-Pepsi. It’s a really fierce competition,” says Brewster.

UPS counter-attacked: offering its own next-day service and expanding to more than 200 countries.

The little messenger company that started in a Seattle basement now has an air force of nearly 300 planes. UPS is the 8th largest airline in the world and delivers more packages than the U.S. post office. It delivers 15 million packages a day. Further, 6 percent of the U.S. economy rides on UPS’ 94,000 trucks.

In their bland brown uniforms — adopted back in the 20s — UPS drivers have become unlikely sex symbols.

"We've had a couple of drivers who found future wives on their route," says Modesto.

At 100, UPS is wearing its age well, as it keeps on truckin'.

© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Add a Comment
by mattlogistic June 28, 2007 6:25 PM EDT
UPS has done many things right over the past 100 years. Lasting that long is one of them. The market needs to understand that there are going to be service failures in the shipping and logistics industries. Customer service and reliability help make up for the few mistakes the organization has had. You would be absolutely suprised to find out how Brown can help you.
Reply to this comment
by woodbrains June 27, 2007 5:05 PM EDT
UPS is a great company. To have lasted this long you can tell they are always on the cuting edge of world. Even when something changes for the better if jobs are lost due to a function no longer being used they make a point of putting those employees somewhere else withing the company.
Reply to this comment
by heresmy2cent June 27, 2007 2:20 PM EDT
Federal Express is not in the same league as UPS when comes to Ground service shipping.

Our UPS delivery and pickup service is so reliable that you can set your watch by the time our UPS driver arrives each day.

FedEx can show up at any time of the time--even past regular business hours. This makes things difficult when you need the parts or materials in a timely manner to complete an order.

FedEx's service is poor and DHL is even worse.
Reply to this comment
by arealtexan June 27, 2007 1:05 PM EDT
Fed-Ex was the best thing that ever happened to UPS. Caused them to shape up. Service was stinky until Fed-Ex showed up on the scene.
Reply to this comment

60 Minutes

The secrets of tennis legend Andre Agassi; the growing threat of cyber wars; and more.
Read More

Latest News
News in Pictures
Scroll Left Scroll Right
  • The Fall Of The Berlin Wall The Fall Of The Berlin Wall

    Looking Back at the Wall that Once Divided Germany On the 20th Anniversary of Its Collapse

  • Patricia Clarkson Patricia Clarkson

    Television and Film Actress, Yale School of Drama Graduate and Academy Award Nominee

  • Day in Pictures Day in Pictures

    A Glimpse at the Day's News as Seen Through a Camera Lens

  • Andre Agassi Andre Agassi

    Former Top-Seeded Tennis Star, Gossip Column Favorite and Philanthropist

  • Yankees Victory Parade Yankees Victory Parade

    The Yankees Celebrate Their 27th World Series Championship with a Ticker-Tape Parade Up Broadway

  • Orlando Office Shooting Orlando Office Shooting

    A Gunman Opens Fire at the Offices of an Engineering Firm Where He Once Worked

Connect with CBS News

Stay connected with the CBS News using your favorite social networks and online news applications: