Tag: North America

FedEx Corporation Honored with Presidential Export Award

Posted by | May 27, 2008 | |

The Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined President Bush at the White House to present the FedEx Corporation of Memphis, TN with the Presidential ‘E’ Award for excellence in exporting.

The ‘E’ Award is the highest honor the federal government can give to American people, firms or organizations that have made significant contributions to the increase of American exports. The Presidential E-Award was created by President John F. Kennedy, by executive order in 1961.

Among the company’s many efforts to drive US exports, FedEx operates an initiative with the US Commercial Service aimed at boosting exports from US businesses. The agreement is designed to help simplify the complexity of international trade, particularly for small and medium size businesses looking to source and sell in the global marketplace.

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USPS flex fuel vehicles lowered fuel efficiency

Posted by | May 27, 2008 | |

The U.S. Postal Service tried to do the right thing, buying more than 30,000 American-made flex fuel vehicles capable of running on ethanol. However, the vehicles, purchase from 1998 to 2003, ended up decreasing overall fuel efficiency by 29% and increasing gasoline consumption by 1.5 million gallons, according to a USPS study.

The plan went wrong in two ways. The vehicles had larger than necessary engines and distribution of E85, the 85% ethanol blend of fuel, is still largely restricted to the midwest.

As a result, vehicles outside the midwest were run on gasoline, and their engines, which were larger than predecessor Jeep engines, burned more fuel.

In addition, E85, though cleaner burning than gasoline, contains less energy. It takes 1.33 gallons of E85 to travel the same distance a a gallon of pure gasoline. Thus, fuel efficiency was reduced even farther.

The USPS said in the future, new flex-fuel vehicles will only be deployed where E85 is conveniently available and competitively priced. The study said the price of E85 must be 30% less than gasoline to be cost effective.

The program was most successful in Minnesota, where the number of stations selling E85 increased from 15 to more than 200 over the last 5 years.

The flex-fuel vehicles purchased included Long Life Vehicles (LLV), Dodge Caravans and Chevrolet Uplanders.

The study also details the results of smaller-scale experiments with fuel cell, hybrid, electric and compressed natural gas vehicles.

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Franchisees: UPS needs a better return policy

Posted by | May 26, 2008 | |

For many small business owners, franchising sounds like the perfect option–it allows you to own and operate a business while having the support of a well-established brand behind you. Yet, there is a darker side to franchising, one that often gets lost in years of court appeals and settlements. If you are looking to franchise, it’s important to pay attention to the fine print.

A David and Goliath battle between United Parcel Service and its franchisees recently turned into a win for the small business owners. In a case that has been going on since 2002, the former franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc. are suing UPS for contract and franchise agreement violations; saying the shipping giant failed them when it forced them to convert to UPS stores or to go private.

UPS bought Mail Boxes Etc., then a chain of 4,300 packing and shipping centers, in 2001 in an all-cash transaction for USD 191.0 million. Its previous owner, U.S. Office Products, had declared bankruptcy.

The California Appellate Court said on Friday that it would reverse the previous decision that was in UPS’s favor. The decision requires that the two parties now face each other in front of a jury.

“The Court of Appeals gave us a total victory. The court reversed every single claim that UPS/MBE made, and awarded costs on appeal to the plaintiffs. This is a complete repudiation of UPS’ and MBE’s position and was the last major hurdle for us,” said Howard Spanier, a former franchisee of Mail Boxes Etc. “UPS blocked my renewal as an Mail Boxes Etc. despite my franchise agreement allowing me to do so. They would only allow me to renew as a UPS Store. I considered that option to be financial suicide, since under the UPS Store business model profit is totally controlled by UPS.”

UPS’s annual revenues went from USD 29.7 billion in 2000, just prior to the acquisition of Mail Boxes Etc., to USD 49.7 billion in 2007. There are currently 4,647 UPS Stores worldwide and 1,306 Mail Boxes Etc. stores.

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Newgistics Receives Corporate Achievement Award for Innovations in Mailing Industry

Posted by | May 23, 2008 | |

Newgistics Inc., a provider of a postal-based, intelligent logistics solution for forward and returns shipping, announced it was honored with the prestigious 2008 Corporate Business Achievement Award from the United States Postal Service (USPS). As part of the National Postal Forum, the USPS recognized Newgistics for its dedication to innovation, teamwork, communication and customer satisfaction in the mailing industry.

Founded in 1999, Newgistics provides the only USPS-based forward and reverse shipping solution for leading retailers like Neiman Marcus, Road Runner Sports and Overstock.com. Newgistics’ Intelligent Logistics Management (ILM) solution is the industry’s first, highly-customized forward and reverse logistics offering that delivers unparalleled visibility, individualized reporting for streamlined inventory management, and a unique Web-based technology for easily tracking the return and delivery process. Newgistics also offers transportation management capabilities for Less-than-Truckload (LTL) and Truckload shipping.

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Postal Service reinforces commitment to greener future (U.S)

Posted by | May 22, 2008 | |

The U.S. Postal Service chose the state with the most progressive environmental record in the nation as the place to announce the creation of a corporate vice president of sustainability.
Postmaster General John Potter named Sam Pulcrano, a 33-year Postal Service veteran, as the organization’s first vice president of sustainability, responsible for coordinating energy and environmental programs across all departments of the Postal Service. One of Pulcrano’s first goals will be to complete an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and create an action plan to reduce emissions.
Pulcrano currently serves as director of safety and environmental performance management, overseeing a staff of about 600 responsible for all environmental policies and programs, as well as safety compliance and procedures at more than 38,000 facilities across the country.
Under his direction, the Postal Service has become an industry leader in employee safety. Employee work-related accidents were reduced by 50 percent and the number of Voluntary Protection Program sites, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) highest safety recognition, increased to 150 in less than six years. No federal agency has a better record. The Postal Service also is a leader in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “Performance Track” program, earning 31 applications for environmental programs and stewardship.

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