MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — In 1907, Indian-born Rudyard Kipling won the Nobel Prize for Literature, and Finland became the first European country to give women the right to vote. Meanwhile, quietly in a tiny Seattle office on the U.S. Pacific coast, two teenagers named Jim Casey and Claude Ryan began the American Messenger Company with a US$100 loan.

These humble beginnings one century ago were the first days of UPS, which is now the worlds largest package delivery company. Serving more than 200 countries and territories, UPS operates the worlds eighth-largest airline, a fleet of almost 92,000 vehicles and offers an ever-expanding array of supply chain services. The company is one of the worlds largest employers; there are now 427,000 UPSers around the world.

Today, on our 100th anniversary, we celebrate the people of UPS who have contributed to our shared success throughout the years, from drivers in Hamburg to pilots in Hong Kong and everyone in between, said Mike Eskew, Chairman and CEO of UPS. UPSs success is the result of the combined efforts of thousands of UPS employees who share a deep commitment to our customers. It is their dedication that will carry UPS well into our next century.

UPS Highlights in Canada

In 1975, Canada became the first country outside the United States to offer UPS service in the basement of the Skyline Hotel in Etobicoke, Ontario. At that time, drivers delivered packages in Checker cabs painted UPS brown and feeder trucks were four-door Chevy Impalas. 1987, UPS planes began??Soon UPS package cars replaced the Checker cabs and in daily service from Buffalo to Hamilton. In 1988, UPS Canada opened the Toronto Hub, designed to handle 20,000 packages per hour and house 228 package cars. That same year, its workforce grew to more than 2,400 employees.

In 1990, UPS Canada was the first location outside the U.S. to use DIAD (Delivery Information Acquisition Device); the handheld computer that facilitates electronic tracking. Today, UPS Canada leverages technology to help companies improve their business processes, including customer service and inventory management.

Over the 32 years of UPS operation in Canada, the company has seen significant growth and has continued giving back to the Canadian communities it services. In 1983, 286 UPS Canada employees participated in the companys first United Way campaign, raising more than $7,000 in payroll deductions. Last year, more than 6,900 employees participated, surpassing the million-dollar mark for the sixth year in a row with a total donation of more than $1.4 million.

Jim Casey was known for saying, Our horizon is as distant as our minds eye wishes it to be, Eskew said. If we stay close to this sentiment, UPS is certain to innovate, grow and succeed for another 100 years.