UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K
FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS
PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
(Mark One)
| þ | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004
or
| ¨ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission file number 001-15451
United Parcel Service, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
| Delaware | 58-2480149 | |
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
| 55 Glenlake Parkway, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia | 30328 | |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) | |
(404) 828-6000
(Registrants telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of Each Class |
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered | |
| Class B common stock, par value $.01 per share | New York Stock Exchange |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Class A common stock, par value $.01 per share
(Title of Class)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrants knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). Yes þ No ¨
The aggregate market value of the class B common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of February 28, 2005 was approximately $47,836,058,376 (based on the closing price of such stock as of the last business day of the registrants most recently completed second fiscal quarter). As of February 28, 2005, non-affiliates held 482,968,228 shares of class A common stock and 617,319,117 shares of class B common stock. The registrants class A common stock is not listed on a national securities exchange or traded in an organized over-the-counter market, but each share of the registrants class A common stock is convertible into one share of the registrants class B common stock.
As of February 28, 2005, there were 501,743,812 outstanding shares of class A common stock and 617,479,339 outstanding shares of class B common stock.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrants definitive proxy statement for its annual meeting of shareowners scheduled for May 5, 2005 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.
PART I
| Item 1. | Business |
Overview
UPS is the worlds largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain solutions. We were founded in 1907 as a private messenger and delivery service in Seattle, Washington. Today, we deliver packages each business day for 1.8 million shipping customers to 6.1 million consignees in over 200 countries and territories. In 2004, we delivered an average of more than 14.1 million pieces per day worldwide. In addition, our supply chain solutions capabilities are available to clients in 175 countries.
Total revenue in 2004 was over $36.5 billion. Although our primary business is the time-definite delivery of packages and documents, we have extended our capabilities in recent years to encompass the broader spectrum of services known as supply chain solutions, such as freight forwarding, customs brokerage, fulfillment, returns, financial transactions and even repairs. We have established a global transportation infrastructure and a comprehensive portfolio of services and integrated solutions. We support these services with advanced operational and customer-facing technology. Our supply chain solutions provide visibility into moving inventory across the global supply chain.
We believe the future is bright for this industry.
| | Globalization of trade is a worldwide economic reality, which we believe will continue to expand as trade barriers are eliminated and large consumer markets, in particular China and India, experience economic expansion. |
| | We believe direct-to-consumer shipments will continue to increase as a result of just-in-time inventory management and increased use of the Internet for ordering goods. UPS is enhancing its ability to be a warehouse in motion for inventory on the move. The company is also the industry leader in the delivery of goods purchased over the Internet. |
| | We believe the drive toward outsourcing supply chain management will continue, as customers increasingly view effective management of their supply chains as a strategic advantage rather than a cost center. |
Our vision for the future is to synchronize the world of commerce, managing the complexities of our customers supply chain needs. Our goal is to develop business solutions for all size customers that create value and competitive advantages for them through product differentiation, market penetration, better customer service and improved cash flow.
Competitive Strengths
Our competitive strengths include:
Global Reach and Scale. We believe that our integrated global ground and air network is the most extensive in the industry. It is the only network that handles all levels of service (express, ground, domestic, international, commercial, residential) through one integrated pickup and delivery service system.
We operate a ground fleet of more than 88,000 vehicles, ranging from custom-built package cars to large tractors and trailers, and nearly 600 airplanes. In the contiguous U.S., we reach all business and residential addresses. We are the ninth largest airline in North America and eleventh largest in the world. Our primary air hub is in Louisville, KY. Regional air hubs are located in Columbia, SC; Dallas, TX; Hartford, CT; Ontario, CA; Philadelphia, PA; and Rockford, IL. Our primary international air hub is in Cologne, Germany, with regional hubs in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Miami, FL and Pampanga, Philippines.
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In Europe, where we have operated for nearly 30 years, we maintain a well developed air and ground network, much like that in the U.S. We believe we have the most comprehensive integrated delivery and information services portfolio of any carrier in Europe. In other regions of the world, we rely on both our own and local service providers capabilities to meet our service commitments.
Through more than two dozen alliances with Asian delivery companies that supplement company-owned operations, we currently serve more than 40 Asia Pacific countries and territories. The two fastest growing economies in the world, China and India, are among our most promising opportunities.
We are also the largest air cargo carrier and a leading logistics provider in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Our Canadian operations include both intra-Canada and import/export capabilities. We deliver to all addresses throughout Canada. We are also the only carrier to offer guaranteed 8:00 a.m. next day delivery to most major metropolitan cities in Canada.
Technology. We are a global leader in developing technology that improves our customers business processes. We have a strong global capability as a mover of electronic information. We currently collect electronic data on 95% of the packages that move through our U.S. system each day more than any of our competitors.
In 2003 we announced plans to re-engineer our package pick-up and delivery processes. Over several years, beginning in 2003, we expect to invest $600 million to simplify and optimize these processes, which we believe will result in significant gains in efficiency, reliability and flexibility. Once the new technology is fully deployed in over 1,000 of our package sorting facilities, which we estimate will be completed in 2007, we anticipate achieving hundreds of millions of dollars in reduced operating costs annually. These savings will be realized through productivity improvements, as well as in reduced fuel usage from driving an estimated 100 million fewer miles each year. By the end of 2004 we had deployed this technology in 273 of our package centers for use by almost 45% of our drivers.
Technology powers virtually every service we offer and every operation we perform. Our technology initiatives are driven by our customers needs. We offer a variety of on-line service options that enable our customers to integrate UPS functionality into their own businesses not only to conveniently send, manage and track their shipments, but to provide their customers with better information services. We provide the infrastructure for an Internet presence that extends to tens of thousands of customers who have integrated UPS tools directly into their own web sites.
E-Commerce Capabilities. We are a leading facilitator of global e-commerce. According to Forrester Research, by 2008, U.S. online retail sales are forecasted to reach $271 billion.1 We enable our customers around the world to thrive in this environment by providing a portfolio of technology solutions that streamlines their shipment processing and integrate critical transportation information into their business applications.
Broad, Flexible Range of Services and Integrated Solutions. Our portfolio of services enables customers to choose the delivery option that is most appropriate for their requirements. All of our general service offering small package delivery services are guaranteed.
Our express air services are integrated with our vast ground delivery system one system handling all products. This integrated air and ground network enhances efficiency, improves productivity and asset utilization, and provides us with the flexibility to transport packages using the most reliable and cost-effective transportation mode or combination of modes. Our sophisticated engineering systems allow us to optimize our network efficiency and asset utilization on a daily basis. This unique, integrated global business model creates consistent and superior returns by far the best in our industry.
| 1 | U.S. eCommerce Overview: 2004 to 2010, Forrester Research, Inc., August 2004. |
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Increasingly, our customers benefit from business solutions that integrate many UPS services in addition to package delivery. We offer over 60 supply chain services such as freight forwarding, customs brokerage, order fulfillment, and returns management that help improve efficiency of the supply chain management process.
Customer Relationships. We focus on building and maintaining long-term customer relationships. Thousands of customers access us daily through UPS On-Call PickupSM for air and ground delivery services. In addition, there are almost 150,000 domestic and international access points to UPS. These include: nearly 40,000 drop-boxes, more than 1,000 UPS Customer Centers, over 2,300 Alliance partner locations, over 5,000 independently-owned Authorized Shipping Outlets (ASOs), almost 1,300 national ASO chains, approximately 10,200 commercial counters, more than 5,000 independently owned and operated The UPS Store® and Mail Boxes Etc.® locations worldwide (over 4,000 in the U.S.) along with 80,000 UPS drivers who can accept packages given to them.
We place significant value on the quality of our customer relationships, and we conduct comprehensive research to monitor customer perceptions. Since 1993, we have conducted telephone interviews with shipping decision-makers virtually every business day to determine their satisfaction with small package carriers and perception of performance on 19 service factors. Results from this survey for 2004 continue to show high levels of customer satisfaction.
Brand Equity. We have built a leading and trusted brand in our industry a brand that stands for quality service, reliability and product innovation. The distinctive appearance of our vehicles and the friendliness and helpfulness of our drivers are major contributors to our brand equity.
In 2003 we introduced our first new logo in 42 years. The change was more than cosmetic; it signaled our commitment to provide more comprehensive solutions to meet our customers needs and to be the leader of the broader business arena of synchronized commerce.
Distinctive Culture. We believe that the dedication of our employees results in large part from our distinctive employee-owner concept. Our employee stock ownership tradition dates from 1927, when our founders, who believed that employee stock ownership was a vital foundation for successful business, first offered stock to employees. To facilitate employee stock ownership, we maintain several stock-based compensation programs.
Our long-standing policy of promotion from within complements our tradition of employee ownership, and this policy makes it generally unnecessary for us to hire managers and executive officers from outside UPS. The vast majority of our management team began their careers as full-time or part-time hourly UPS employees, and have spent their entire careers with us. Our chief executive officer and many of our executive officers have more than 30 years of service with UPS and have accumulated a meaningful ownership stake in our company. Therefore, our executive officers have a strong incentive to effectively manage UPS, which benefits all our shareowners.
Financial Strength. Our balance sheet reflects financial strength that few companies can match. As of December 31, 2004, we had a balance of cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and short-term investments of approximately $5.2 billion and shareowners equity of $16.4 billion. Long-term debt was $3.3 billion. We carry long-term debt ratings of AAA/Aaa from Standard & Poors and Moodys, respectively, reflecting our low use of debt and strong capacity to service our obligations. Our financial strength gives us the resources to achieve global scale and to make investments in technology, transportation equipment and buildings as well as to pursue strategic opportunities which will facilitate our growth.
Growth Strategy
Our growth strategy takes advantage of our competitive strengths while maintaining our focus on meeting or exceeding our customers requirements. The principal components of our growth strategy are:
Build on Our Leadership Position in Our U.S. Business. We believe that our tradition of reliable package delivery service, our experienced and dedicated employees and our unmatched integrated air and ground network provide us with the advantages of reputation, service quality and economies of scale that differentiate us from our
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competitors. Our strategy is to increase domestic revenue through cross-selling our existing and new services to our large and diverse customer base, to limit the rate of expense growth and to employ technology-driven efficiencies to increase operating profit.
Continued International Expansion. We have built a strong international presence through significant investments over several decades. The international package delivery market continues to grow at a faster rate than that of the U.S. We will use our worldwide infrastructure and broad product portfolio to grow high-margin premium services and to implement cost, process and technology improvements in our international operations.
Europe is our largest region outside the United States accounting for half of our international revenue. Both Europe and Asia offer significant opportunities for growth. The expansion of the European Union to include several Eastern European and Baltic countries will create even greater economic cohesion. Growth in Asia will be driven by global demand, leading to improved demographic and economic trends throughout the region, with specific emphasis on China and India.
Provide Comprehensive Supply Chain Solutions. Many businesses outsource the management of all or part of their supply chains to streamline and gain efficiencies, to strengthen their balance sheets, to support new business models and to improve service. Companies global supply chains are growing increasingly complicated. This is creating further demand for a global service offering that incorporates transportation, distribution and international trade services with financial and information services. We believe that we are well positioned to capitalize on this growth for the following reasons:
| | We manage supply chains for large and small companies in 175 countries, with about 35 million square feet of distribution space and over 1,000 facilities worldwide. |
| | We focus on supply chain redesign, freight forwarding, international trade services and management-based solutions for our customers rather than solely on more traditional asset-based logistics such as warehouses and vehicle fleets. We have built valuable intellectual capital in specific high growth industries such as healthcare and high-tech. |
| | We provide a broad range of transportation solutions to customers worldwide, including air, ocean and ground freight, as well as customs brokerage and trade and materials management. We provide standardized service, IT systems and specialized distribution facilities and services adapted to the unique supply chains of specific industries such as healthcare, high-tech, consumer/retail and automotive. |
| | We offer a portfolio of financial services that provides customers with short- and long-term financing, secured lending, working capital, government guaranteed lending, letters of credit, global trade financing, credit cards and equipment leasing. |
Leverage Our Leading-Edge Technology and E-Commerce Advantage. Our goal is to provide our customers with easy-to-use, flexible technology offerings that streamline their shipment processing and integrate critical transportation information into their business processes, helping them create supply chain efficiencies, improve their cash flows and better serve their customers. Our leading-edge technology has enabled our e-commerce partners to integrate our shipping functionality and information solutions into their e-commerce product suites.
Pursue Strategic Acquisitions and Global Alliances. Strategic acquisitions and global alliances play a significant role in spurring growth. We look for opportunities that:
| | complement our global package business; |
| | build our global brand; |
| | enhance our technological capabilities or service offerings; |
| | lower our costs; or |
| | expand our geographic presence. |
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Products and Services
Domestic Package Products and Services. For most of our history, we have been engaged primarily in the delivery of packages traveling by ground transportation. We expanded this service gradually, and today our standard ground service is available to every address in the 48 contiguous United States. We handle packages that weigh up to 150 pounds and are up to 165 inches in combined length and girth. We offer same-day pick-up of air and ground packages.
In addition to our standard ground delivery product, UPS Hundredweight Service® offers guaranteed, time-definite service at discounted rates to customers sending multiple package shipments having a combined weight of 200 pounds or more, or air shipments totaling 100 pounds or more, addressed to one recipient at one address and shipped on the same day. Customers may realize significant savings on these shipments compared to less-than-truckload or air freight forwarder published rates.
We provide domestic air delivery throughout the United States. UPS Next Day Air® offers guaranteed next business day delivery by 10:30 a.m. to 75% of the United States population and delivery by noon to areas covering an additional 15% of the population. We offer Saturday delivery for UPS Next Day Air shipments for an additional fee.
Additional products and services, such as UPS CampusShip, Consignee Billing, Quantum View Manage, Delivery Confirmation and UPS ReturnsSM, are available to customers who require customized package distribution solutions.
International Package Products and Services. We deliver international shipments to more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and we provide delivery within one to two business days to the worlds major business centers. We offer a complete portfolio of import, export and domestic services. This portfolio includes guaranteed early morning, morning and noon delivery to major cities around the world, as well as scheduled day-definite air and ground services. We offer worldwide customs clearance service for any mode of transportation.
We classify our service as export (packages that cross national borders) and domestic (packages that stay within a single countrys boundaries). We have a portfolio of domestic services in 20 major countries throughout the world.
Transborder services, or the movement of packages within the European Union, are proving to be the growth engine in this region. To accommodate growth opportunities across the whole of Europe, we are expanding and further automating our major air hub in Cologne, Germany.
We continue to invest in infrastructure and technology in Asia. In April 2002, we opened a new intra-Asia hub at Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga, Philippines to enable future growth in the region. This hub allows us to compete more effectively in the Asian express market and improve our Europe/Asia service. We obtained landing slots on the new runway at Tokyos Narita Airport, which have enhanced access and connections to the intra-Asia hub.
In 2003, we received from the U.S. Department of Transportation the authority to expand service to and through Hong Kong, including permanent authority to fly from Hong Kong to other cities, specifically to our Cologne hub in Europe. We continue our development efforts in the fast-growing China market. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Transportation authorized us to significantly expand our air operations in that country with the award of 12 new frequencies. The decision tripled UPSs access to China. We began flying six new frequencies to Shanghai in 2004. We will begin flying another six frequencies in April 2005, providing non-stop service from the U.S. to Guangzhou for the first time.
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We believe that there is long-term potential for us to expand our service offerings in Latin America. To this end, we have realigned our delivery capabilities between key cities in the Mercosur and other trade blocs and continue to benefit from our Americas International Gateway in Miami, Florida. This gateway complements our operations in Florida and Latin America, and represents our commitment to the Americas market.
Mexico and Canada are also important to our international business. We developed the UPS Trade DirectSM Cross Border service to manage package movements between the U.S. and these countries. This service combines our small package, freight and brokerage capabilities to create an integrated, streamlined and economical door-to-door solution for customers with complex cross-border distribution needs.
The Trade Direct portfolio of services integrates our small package and supply chain solutions capabilities to provide additional value to our customers. In essence, the Trade Direct service consolidates individually labeled packages or pallets into one movement across borders. When the goods arrive in the destination country, packages are deconsolidated and entered into the UPS system for delivery, often eliminating the receiving, sorting and handling necessary in distribution centers. This service significantly cuts the supply chain cycle from point of origin to consignee. It also provides our customers with faster time to market, reduced costs, increased visibility and better management of their global supply chain.
In 2004 we expanded UPS Trade Direct Ocean, a service that transforms ocean container movements into pre-labeled small packages or less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments. This service is now available from over 70 international origin ports to three U.S. entry ports. In addition, a faster Trade Direct Air option is now available.
Supply Chain Services. UPS Supply Chain Solutions meets customers supply chain needs by selecting the most appropriate solution from a portfolio of over 60 services. Among these are:
| | Logistics and Distribution: supply chain management, distribution center design, planning and management, order fulfillment, inventory management, receiving and shipping, service parts logistics, reverse logistics and cross docking. |
| | International Trade Management: freight forwarding, full-service customs brokerage and international trade consulting. |
| | Transportation and Freight Forwarding: air, ocean, rail and ground freight utilizing UPS and other carriers, and multimodal transportation network management. |
| | Consulting Services: strategic supply chain design and re-engineering. |
Asset-based lending, global trade finance and export-import lending services are available through UPS CapitalSM.
Electronic Services. We provide a variety of UPS on-line solutions that support automated shipping and tracking:
| | UPS WorldShip® helps shippers streamline their shipping activities by processing shipments, printing address labels, tracking packages and providing management reports, all from a desktop computer. |
| | UPS CampusShip® is a web-based, UPS-hosted distributed shipping solution that allows employees of companies with multiple facilities and decentralized workforces to easily process and ship packages with UPS from their computer desktops. At the same time, the system gives transportation and mailroom decision-makers centralized control over shipping procedures and costs. |
| | UPS Internet Shipping is a quick and convenient way to ship packages using the web without installing additional software. |
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| | UPS OnLine® Host Access provides electronic connectivity between UPS and the shippers host computer system, linking UPS shipping information directly to all parts of the customers organization. |
| | UPS Ready® encompasses electronic solutions provided by third-party vendors that benefit customers who want to automate their shipping and tracking processes. |
| | Quantum View® is a suite of three visibility services (Quantum View Manage, Quantum View Data and Quantum View Notify) that give customers proactive status information about UPS shipments. The services can be used separately or together, depending on customer needs. |
| | UPS TradeabilitySM is a software tool that helps customers navigate the complex process of international shipping by identifying harmonized tariff codes, generating landed cost estimates, and locating up-to-date compliance information. |
Our website strategy is to provide our customers with the convenience of all the functions that they otherwise would perform over the phone or at one of our shipping outlets. Package tracking, pick-up requests, rate quotes, account opening, wireless registration, drop-off locator, transit times and supply ordering services are all available at the customers desktop. The site also displays full domestic and international service information.
UPS.com receives more than 145 million hits and processes over 10 million package tracking transactions daily. A growing number of those tracking requests now come from customers in the 35 countries that have wireless access to UPS tracking information. Businesses in 46 countries also can download UPS OnLine ToolsSM, to their own websites for direct use by their customers. This allows users to access the information they need without leaving our customers websites.
Sales and Marketing
The UPS worldwide sales organization includes both our traditional U.S. domestic and international small package delivery business and our Supply Chain Solutions group. This field sales organization consists primarily of locally-based account executives assigned to our individual operating units. For our largest multi-shipping site customers, we manage sales through an organization of regionally-based account managers, reporting directly to our corporate office.
Our sales force also includes specialized groups that work together with our general sales organization to support the sale of e-commerce and customer technology solutions, international package delivery, LTL and freight transportation, and warehousing and distribution services.
Our worldwide marketing organization also supports both our traditional U.S. domestic and international small package delivery business and our Supply Chain Solutions group. Our corporate marketing function is engaged in market and customer research, brand management, rate-making and revenue management policy, new product development, product portfolio management, marketing alliances and e-commerce, including the non-technical aspects of our web presence. Advertising, public relations, and most formal marketing communications are centrally developed and controlled.
In addition to our corporate marketing group, field-based marketing personnel are assigned to our individual operating units, and are primarily engaged in business planning, bid preparation and revenue management activities. These local marketing teams support the execution of corporate initiatives while also managing limited promotional and public relations activities pertinent to their local markets.
Employees
As of December 31, 2004, we had approximately 384,000 employees.
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We have received numerous awards and wide recognition as an employer-of-choice, including the following:
| | In February 2004, we were was rated the Worlds Most Admired company in our industry in a FORTUNE magazine survey, as well as ranking in the Top 10 among the worlds companies. |
| | For the 21st consecutive year, we were ranked Americas Most Admired company in its industry in a survey published in FORTUNE magazine in March 2004. |
| | In 2004, we were named one of DiversityInc magazines Top 50 Companies for Diversity and Top 10 Companies for Latinos. |
| | In 2004, we were ranked number nine in Computer Worlds 100 Best Places to Work in IT. |
| | Hispanic Magazine recognized us in 2004 as a leader in its annual Corporate 100, a list of companies providing the most opportunities for Hispanics. |
| | We received the National Urban Leagues Corporate Leadership Award in 2003 for our long-standing support of the National Urban League. |
| | In 2003, for the fourth consecutive year, we were named a top corporation for womens business enterprises by the Womens Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). |
As of December 31, 2004, we had approximately 229,000 employees employed under a national master agreement and various supplemental agreements with local unions affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Teamsters). These agreements run through July 31, 2008. The majority of our pilots are employed under a collective bargaining agreement with the Independent Pilots Association, which became amendable January 1, 2004. Negotiations are ongoing with the assistance of the National Mediation Board. Our airline mechanics are covered by a collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local 2727, which becomes amendable on November 1, 2006. In addition, the majority of our ground mechanics who are not employed under agreements with the Teamsters are employed under collective bargaining agreements with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. These agreements run through July 31, 2009.
We believe that our relations with our employees are good. Every year we survey all our employees to determine their level of job satisfaction. Areas of concern receive management attention as we strive to keep UPS the employer of choice among our employees.
Competition
We are the largest package delivery company in the world, in terms of both revenue and volume. We offer a broad array of services in the package delivery industry and, therefore, compete with many different companies and services on a local, regional, national and international basis. Our competitors include the postal services of the United States and other nations, various motor carriers, express companies, freight forwarders, air couriers and others.
We believe competition increasingly is based on a carriers ability to integrate its distribution and information systems with its customers systems to provide unique transportation solutions at competitive prices. We rely on our vast infrastructure and service portfolio to attract and maintain customers. As we expand our supply chain solutions service offerings, we compete with a number of participants in the supply chain, financial services and information technology industries.
Government Regulation
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates air transportation services.
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The TSA regulates various security aspects of air cargo transportation in a manner consistent with the TSA mission statement to protect[s] the Nations transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce.
The DOTs authority primarily relates to economic aspects of air transportation, such as discriminatory pricing, non-competitive practices, interlocking relations and cooperative agreements. The DOT also regulates, subject to the authority of the President of the United States, international routes, fares, rates and practices, and is authorized to investigate and take action against discriminatory treatment of U.S. air carriers abroad. We are subject to U.S. customs laws and related DOT regulations regarding the import and export of shipments to and from the U.S. In addition, our customs brokerage entities are subject to those same laws and regulations as they relate to the filing of documents on behalf of client importers and exporters.
The FAAs authority primarily relates to safety aspects of air transportation, including aircraft standards and maintenance, personnel and ground facilities. In 1988, the FAA granted us an operating certificate, which remains in effect so long as we meet the operational requirements of federal aviation regulations.
FAA regulations mandate an aircraft corrosion control program, and aircraft inspection and repair at periodic intervals specified by approved programs and procedures, for all aircraft. Our total expenditures under these programs for 2004 were about $11 million. The future cost of repairs pursuant to these programs may fluctuate. All mandated repairs have been completed, or are scheduled to be completed, within the timeframes specified by the FAA.
Our ground transportation of packages in the U.S. is subject to the DOTs jurisdiction with respect to the regulation of routes and to both the DOTs and the states jurisdiction with respect to the regulation of safety, insurance and hazardous materials.
We are subject to similar regulation in many non-U.S. jurisdictions. In addition, we are subject to non-U.S. government regulation of aviation rights to and beyond non-U.S. jurisdictions, and non-U.S. customs regulation.
The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 created the U.S. Postal Service as an independent establishment of the executive branch of the federal government, and vested the power to recommend domestic postal rates in a regulatory body, the Postal Rate Commission. We participate in the proceedings before the Postal Rate Commission in an attempt to secure fair postal rates for competitive services.
We are subject to numerous other laws and regulations in connection with our non-package businesses, including customs regulations, Food and Drug Administration regulation of our transportation of pharmaceuticals and state and federal lending regulations.
Where You Can Find More Information
We make our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to these reports available free of charge through the investor relations page of our website, located at www.shareholder.com/ups, as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the SEC.
We have adopted a written Code of Business Conduct that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer and senior financial officers. It is available in the governance section of the investor relations page of our website, located at www.shareholder.com/ups. In the event that we make changes in, or provide waivers from, the provisions of the Code of Business Conduct that the SEC requires us to disclose, we intend to disclose these events in the governance section of our investor relations website.
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Our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the charters for our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are also available free of charge in the governance section of the investor relations page of our website.
See Footnote 12 to our consolidated financial statements for financial information regarding our industry segments and geographic areas in which we operate.
| Item 1A. | Executive Officers of the Registrant |
| Name and Office |
Age |
Principal Occupation and Employment For the Last Five Years | ||
| David P. Abney Senior Vice President and President, UPS International |
49 | Senior Vice President and President, UPS International (2003 to present), UPS/Fritz Companies Integration Manager (2001 to 2002), UPS SonicAir® Manager (1995 to 2000). | ||
| David A. Barnes Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer |
49 | Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (2005 to present), Corporate IS Portfolio Coordinator (2001 to 2004), CIM Process Manager (1998 to 2001). | ||
| John J. Beystehner Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and President UPS Airlines |
53 | Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President (1999 to present), | ||
| D. Scott Davis Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
53 | Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (2001 to present), Vice President Finance (2000 to 2001), Chief Executive Officer of Overseas Partners Ltd. (1999 to 2000). | ||
| Michael L. Eskew Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
55 | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (2002 to present), Vice Chairman (2000 to 2001), Executive Vice President (1999 to 2001), Director (1998 to present), Corporate Development Group Manager (1999 to 2000), Senior Vice President (1996 to 1999), Engineering Group Manager (1996 to 2000). | ||
| Allen E. Hill Senior Vice President and Secretary |
49 | Senior Vice President, Secretary and Legal and Public Affairs Group Manager (2004 to present), Corporate Legal Department Manager (1995 to 2003). | ||
| Kurt P. Kuehn Senior Vice President |
50 | Senior Vice President and Worldwide Sales and Marketing Group Manager (2004 to present), Vice President, Investor Relations (1999 to 2003). | ||
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| Name and Office |
Age |
Principal Occupation and Employment For the Last Five Years | ||
| Christopher D. Mahoney Senior Vice President |
57 | Senior Vice President, (1998 to present), Transportation Group Manager and Labor Relations Group Manager (2001 to 2005), U.S. Operations Manager (1998 to 2001), Region Manager (1990 to 1998). | ||
| John J. McDevitt Senior Vice President |
46 | Senior Vice President, Transportation Group Manager and Labor Relations Group Manager (2005 to present), Senior Vice President, Strategic Integration (2003 to 2005), Air Region Manager (2001 to 2002), Corporate Labor Relations Manager (1997 to 2000). | ||
| Lea N. Soupata Senior Vice President and Director |
54 | Senior Vice President and Human Resources Group Manager (1995 to present), Director (1998 to present). | ||
| Robert E. Stoffel Senior Vice President |
49 | Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Group (2004 to present), President, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, Inc. (2002 to 2003), Vice President, UPS Logistics Group, Inc. (2000 to 2002), Department Manager (1995 to 2000) | ||
| James F. Winestock Senior Vice President |
53 | Senior Vice President and U.S. Operations Manager (2004 to present), Region Manager (1998 to 2003) | ||
| Item 2. | Properties |
Operating Facilities
We own our headquarters, which are located in Atlanta, Georgia and consist of about 735,000 square feet of office space on an office campus, and our UPS Supply Chain Solutions groups headquarters, which are located in Alpharetta, Georgia and consist of about 310,000 square feet of office space.
We also own our 27 principal U.S. package operating facilities, which have floor spaces that range from about 310,000 to 693,000 square feet. In addition, we have a 1.9 million square foot operating facility near Chicago, Illinois, which is designed to streamline shipments between East Coast and West Coast destinations, and we own or lease over 1,000 additional smaller package operating facilities in the U.S. The smaller of these facilities have vehicles and drivers stationed for the pickup of packages and facilities for the sorting, transfer and delivery of packages. The larger of these facilities also service our vehicles and equipment and employ specialized mechanical installations for the sorting and handling of packages.
We own or lease almost 600 facilities that support our international package operations and over 1,090 facilities that support our non-package operations. Our non-package operations maintain facilities with about 30 million square feet of floor space.
We believe that our facilities are adequate to support our current operations.
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Our aircraft are operated in a hub and spokes pattern in the U.S. Our principal air hub in the U.S., known as Worldport, is located in Louisville, KY. The Worldport facility consists of over 3.5 million square feet and the site includes approximately 350 acres. We are able to sort over 300,000 packages per hour in the Worldport facility. We also have regional air hubs in Columbia, SC; Dallas, TX; Dayton, OH, Hartford, CT; Ontario, CA; Philadelphia, PA; and Rockford, IL. These hubs house facilities for the sorting, transfer and delivery of packages. In February 2005, we announced our intention to transfer operations currently taking place at the Menlo facility in Dayton, OH to other UPS facilities over approximately 12 to 18 months. We are currently evaluating our plans for this facility, including potential alternate uses or closure. Our European air hub is located in Cologne, Germany, and our Asia-Pacific air hub is located in Taipei, Taiwan. Our intra-Asia air hub is located at Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga, Philippines, and our regional air hub in Canada is located in Hamilton, Ontario.
Our computer operations are consolidated in a 435,000 square foot owned facility, the Ramapo Ridge facility, which is located on a 39-acre site in Mahwah, New Jersey. We also own a 175,000 square foot facility located on a 25-acre site in Alpharetta, Georgia, which serves as a backup to the main computer operations facility in New Jersey. This facility provides production functions and backup capacity in the event that a power outage or other disaster incapacitates the main data center. It also helps us to meet communication needs.
Fleet
Aircraft
The following table shows information about our aircraft fleet as of December 31, 2004:
| Description |
Owned and Capital Leases |
Short-term Leased or Chartered From Others |
On Order |
Under Option | ||||
| McDonnell-Douglas DC-8-71 |
21 | | | | ||||
| McDonnell-Douglas DC-8-73 |
26 | | | | ||||
| Boeing 727-100 |
44 | | | | ||||
| Boeing 727-200 |
2 | | | | ||||
| Boeing 747-100 |
9 | | | | ||||
| Boeing 747-200 |
4 | 1 | | | ||||
| Boeing 757-200 |
75 | | | | ||||
| Boeing 767-300 |
32 | | | | ||||
| Boeing MD-11 |
15 | | 2 | | ||||
| Airbus A300-600 |
40 | | 13 | | ||||
| Airbus A380-800 |
| | 10 | 10 | ||||
| Other |
| 300 | | | ||||
| Total |
268 | 301 | 25 | 10 | ||||
We maintain an inventory of spare engines and parts for each aircraft.
All of the aircraft we own meet Stage III federal noise regulations and can operate at airports that have aircraft noise restrictions. We became the first major airline to successfully operate a 100% Stage III fleet more than three years in advance of the date required by federal regulations.
During 2004, we took delivery of three Boeing MD-11 aircraft and eight Airbus A300-600 aircraft. We have firm commitments to purchase two Boeing MD-11 aircraft in 2005, and we expect to take delivery of an additional four Boeing MD-11 aircraft during 2005. In December 2004, we amended our existing aircraft purchase agreement with Airbus. The amended agreement reduced our purchase commitment for Airbus A300-600 from 50 to 13 aircraft, and reduced the number of aircraft options from 37 to zero. In addition, we have a firm commitment to purchase 10 Airbus A380 aircraft and options to purchase 10 additional A380
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aircraft. The Airbus A300-600 aircraft are expected to be delivered by July 2006, and the A380 aircraft are expected to be delivered between 2009 and 2012. In 2005, we expect to take delivery of seven Airbus A300-600 aircraft.
Vehicles
We operate a ground fleet of more than 88,000 package cars, vans, tractors and motorcycles.
Our ground support fleet consists of over 25,000 pieces of equipment designed specifically to support our aircraft fleet, ranging from non-powered container dollies and racks to powered aircraft main deck loaders and cargo tractors. We also have about 40,000 containers used to transport cargo in our aircraft.
Safety
We promote safety throughout our operations.
Our Automotive Fleet Safety Program is built with the following components:
| | Selection. Five out of every six drivers come from our part-time ranks. Therefore, many of our new drivers are familiar with our philosophies, policies, practices and training programs. |
| | Training. Training is the cornerstone of our Fleet Safety Program. Our approach starts with training the trainer. All trainers are certified to ensure that they have the skills and motivation to effectively train novice drivers. A new drivers employment includes five hours of classroom training and 15 hours of on-road training, followed by three safety training rides integrated into his or her training cycle. |
| | Responsibility. Our operations managers are responsible for their drivers safety records. We investigate every accident. If we determine that an accident could have been prevented, we retrain the driver. |
| | Preventive Maintenance. An integral part of our Fleet Safety Program is a comprehensive Preventive Maintenance Program. Our fleet is tracked by computer to ensure that each vehicle is serviced before a breakdown or accident is likely to occur. |
| | Honor Plan. A well-defined safe driver honor plan recognizes and rewards our drivers when they achieve success. We have over 3,600 drivers who have driven for 25 years or more without an avoidable accident. |
Our workplace safety program is built upon a comprehensive health and safety process. The foundation of this process is our employee-management health and safety committees. The workplace safety process focuses on employee conditioning and safety-related habits. Our employee co-chaired health and safety committees complete comprehensive facility audits and injury analyses, and recommend facility and work process changes.
| Item 3. | Legal Proceedings |
On August 9, 1999, the United States Tax Court held that we were liable for tax on income of Overseas Partners Ltd., a Bermuda company that had reinsured excess value (EV) package insurance purchased by our customers beginning in 1984, and that we were liable for additional tax for the 1983 and 1984 tax years. The IRS took similar positions to those advanced in the Tax Court decision for tax years subsequent to 1984 through 1998. On June 20, 2001, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled in our favor and reversed the Tax Court decision. In January 2003, we and the IRS finalized settlement of all outstanding tax issues related to EV package insurance. Under the terms of settlement, we agreed to adjustments that will result in income tax due of approximately $562 million, additions to tax of $60 million and related interest. The amount due to the IRS as a result of the settlement is less than amounts we previously had accrued. As a result, we recorded income, before taxes, of $1.023 billion ($776 million after tax) during the fourth quarter of 2002. In the first quarter of 2004, we received a refund of $185 million pertaining to the 1983 and 1984 tax years.
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The IRS had proposed adjustments, unrelated to the EV package insurance matters discussed above, regarding the allowance of deductions and certain losses, the characterization of expenses as capital rather than ordinary, the treatment of certain income, and our entitlement to tax credits in the 1985 through 1998 tax years. In the third quarter of 2004, we settled all outstanding issues related to each of the tax years 1991 through 1998. In the fourth quarter of 2004, we received a refund of $425 million pertaining to the 1991 through 1998 tax years. We expect to receive the $371 million of refunds related to the 1985 through 1990 tax years within the next six months.
The IRS may take similar positions with respect to some of the non-EV package insurance matters for each of the years 1999 through 2004. If challenged, we expect that we will prevail on substantially all of these issues. Specifically, we believe that our practice of expensing the items that the IRS alleges should have been capitalized is consistent with the practices of other industry participants. We believe that the eventual resolution of these issues will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.
We were named as a defendant in twenty-three now-dismissed lawsuits that sought to hold us liable for the collection of premiums for EV insurance in connection with package shipments since 1984. Based on state and federal tort, contract and statutory claims, these cases generally claimed that we failed to remit collected EV premiums to an independent insurer; we failed to provide promised EV insurance; we acted as an insurer without complying with state insurance laws and regulations; and the price for EV insurance was excessive. These actions were all filed after the August 9, 1999 U.S. Tax Court decision, discussed above, which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit later reversed.
These twenty-three cases were consolidated for pre-