Todo

1907-1929 |
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Messenger Service |
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1907 - 1912
In 1907 there was a great need in America for private messenger and delivery services. To help meet this need, an enterprising 19-year-old, James E. (“Jim”) Casey, borrowed $100 from a friend and established the American Messenger Company in Seattle, Washington. According to accounts given by Jim there were quite afew messenger services already in the Seattle area, some of which he had worked for in the past.

That initial name was well-suited to the business pursuits of the new company. In response to telephone calls received at their basement headquarters, messengers ran errands, delivered packages, and carried notes, baggage, and trays of food from restaurants. They made most deliveries on foot and usedbicycles for longer trips. Only a few automobiles were in existence at that time and department stores of the day still used horses and wagons for merchandise delivery. It would be six years before the United States Parcel Post system would be established.

Jim and his partner, Claude Ryan ran the service from a humble office located under the sidewalk. Jim's brother George and a handful ofother teenagers were the company's messengers. The company did well despite stiff competition, largely because of Jim Casey´s strict policies of customer courtesy, reliability, round-the-clock service, and low rates. These principles, which guide UPS even today, are summarized by Jim´s slogan: best service and lowest rates. |
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Retail Era |
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1913 - 1918
The young companyfocused on package delivery for retail stores, as improvements such as the automobile and the telephone were causing a decline in the messenger business. The company also began to use motorcycles  for some deliveries. For about two years, the company´s largest client was the United States Post Office, for which they delivered all special delivery mail entering Seattle. During this period, thecompany began using consolidated delivery, that is combining packages addressed to a certain neighborhood onto one delivery vehicle. This way, manpower and motorized equipment could be used more efficiently, and rates could be kept low. The year 1913 brought several significant changes.

The company acquired its first delivery car, a Model T Ford, and on its side was inscribed a new name: MerchantsParcel Delivery. The new name, partially the result of Jim Casey´s agreement to merge with competitor Evert (“Mac”) McCabe, reflected a shift in the primary focus of the business from messages to packages. The business began to grow quickly, and because of its high standard of service and personalized attention to every package handled, the young company built a strong reputation among the storesin the city. In 1916, Charlie Soderstrom joined the company, bringing automobiles and expertise with him. He also brought the color brown. By 1918 three of Seattle´s largest department stores had become regular customers, disposing of their own delivery cars (which Jim and his associates often purchased) and turning business over to Merchants Parcel Delivery. |
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Common Carrier Services ||
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1919 - 1930
In 1919 the company made its first expansion beyond Seattle to Oakland, California, and adopted its present name, United Parcel Service. The word “United” served as a reminder that the company´s operations in each city were part of the same organization, “Parcel” identified the nature of the business, and “Service” indicated what was offered.

In 1922 UPSacquired a company in Los Angeles with an innovative practice known as "common carrier" service. Common carrier service incorporated many of the features and operating principles of the retail store delivery service with features not then offered by many other private carriers, or even the parcel post.

The differentiating features of common carrier service included automatic daily pickup calls,...