Big Things Start Small - Part 2

Shortly after posting my first "Big Things Start Small" article about the history and growth of three one time small and now quite large companies, Harley Davidson, Miller Brewing and Allen Bradley, I came across the announcement that yet another "man are they big but started small" company, UPS, is, this month, celebrating its 100 year anniversary.  Everyone, of course, knows who UPS is today - but what about what they were back in 1907? 

I'll admit that, although my father worked for UPS for more than 10 years, I was not familiar with the company's humble beginnings.  In a story reminiscent of today's DOT COM start ups, UPS was started by two teenagers, Claude Ryan and Jim Casey, who, financed with a $100 loan, operated out of a basement in Seattle, WA.  Originally a messenger service, the teens called their enterprise "American Messenger Service".   In 1913, the boys acquired their first motor vehicle, a Model T Ford and, to reflect their new capabilities, renamed their company "Merchants Parcel Delivery".  When the company expanded its services in 1919 outside of the Seattle area, they changed the name again, to United Parcel Service.

Today, UPS is known far and wide not just by the unique design of their one of a kind package cars (I'm told you will never see a "used" UPS package car operated by another firm - they are destroyed after use), but by their desire to become "the" global supply chain partner to companies of all shapes and sizes.  UPS' slogan, "What can brown do for you?", may just be today's "where's the beef?" in terms of consumer recognition. 

In 100 years, UPS has grown from a company of two kids to a worldwide organization with more than 400,000 employees.  The company is, like so many innovative firms, often copied by never beaten (at least for long).  It's clear that the success and longevity of UPS, not unlike Harley, Miller, Allen Bradley and many others, is due not just to their commitment to be the best, but more importantly, to their commitment to take risks, anticipate the future needs of their clients and constantly change to meet those future needs.  While the competition is always looking through their windshield at UPS, UPS is always looking at the competition through the rear view mirror.  They stay in front by continuing to move forward and create the next opportunity, long before anyone who is following knows what's even going on.

In 2107, I expect that UPS will be called something different again since, for all we know package deliveries may be a thing of the past by then.  I don't doubt that they will face many challenges and obstacles along the way, just as they've done for their first 100 years.  Like all of us, they'll likely be challenged by ideas and technologies (think overnight delivery, but bigger) that can only be imagined today.  I'm pretty sure that UPS will still be in front.  How come? Simple.  They know where they came from, they don't accept that anything is not possible, they constantly focus on what will be good for their clients (and hard for the competition to replicate), they never stand still and, finally, they're curious and they aren't afraid of what they don't know.

How about you?  What can you do for you?