Tag: USA

USPS launches historic infomercial

The U.S. Postal Service used a bit of history to make history when it debuted its first infomercial on June 16.

The thundering hooves of the Pony Express led viewers through a series of modern-day business success stories in a 28-minute video that will run throughout the summer on 20 different channels, including CNBC, ABC Family and The Discovery Channel.

“The main focus on the infomercial is to talk to our customers and show them how we’ve made our products and services easier to use,” said Lisa Bobb-Semple, program manager at USPS. “It highlights a number of customers from a variety of backgrounds who have used our products and services with success.” Each story highlights a service available at www.usps.com that has made shopping and shipping easier. Interspersed with each story is a bit of USPS history showing how the Postal Service has been on the cutting edge of information transportation ‹ from the early days of the stagecoach to having the largest fleet of alternative fuel vehicles in the world today.

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The Envelope Manufacturers Association launches “Please Recycle” campaign

The Envelope Manufacturers Association (EMA) has recently launched a major initiative to encourage the recycling of envelopes, cartons and packaging. Beginning this summer, EMA member companies will be adding “Please Recycle” logos to their envelopes, packages and cartons.

The “Please Recycle” campaign is sponsored by the Envelope Manufacturers Association (EMA) in conjunction with the Direct Marketing Association and the Magazine Publishers Association.

Some facts about advertising mail and paper recycling:
• The average US household gets 18.5 pieces of advertising mail per week, a figure that has held steady during the past five years. (US Postal Service, 2005 Household Diary Study)
• Consumers do read their mail. According to the US Postal Service, 85 percent of US households usually read some or all of the advertising mail they receive. (US Postal Service, 2005 Household Diary Study)
• Direct mail accounts for only 2.2 percent (in weight) of the total municipal solid waste generated in the US annually, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. That figure is likely to decline as greater strides are made in paper recovery and recycling.
• In 2006, a record 53.4 percent of the paper consumed in the US (53.5 million tons) was recovered for recycling. Paper recovery now averages nearly 360 pounds for each man, woman, and child in the US. (American Forest & Paper Association).

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ABX Air Inc. Receives Unsolicited Indication of Interest from ASTAR Air Cargo Holdings

ABX Air, Inc. today acknowledged the receipt of an unsolicited indication of interest from ASTAR Air Cargo Holdings, LLC to acquire all of the outstanding shares of ABX Air for $7.75 per share in cash. No formal offer has yet been made.
The ABX Air Board of Directors, consistent with its fiduciary duties and commitment to enhancing value for shareholders, will evaluate this indication of interest as well as any formal offer actually made. The Company will respond in due course and neither the Board nor ABX Air management will make any other comment on the indication of interest until then.
Goldman, Sachs & Co. is acting as financial advisor to the Company. O’Melveny & Myers is serving as legal counsel.
ABX Air is a cargo airline that operates out of Wilmington, Ohio, and 17 hubs throughout the United States. In addition to providing airlift capacity and sort facility staffing to DHL, ABX Air provides charter, maintenance and package handling services to a diverse group of customers. ABX is the largest employer in a several-county area in southwestern Ohio.

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UPS receives additional tax breaks for Worldport expansion

United Parcel Service Inc. again has received tax breaks from Kentucky to help offset some of the costs of the USD 1 billion expansion project under way at its Worldport air cargo hub at Louisville International Airport.

UPS was approved by the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority for USD 2.5 million in state sales tax refunds during its June 28 meeting in Frankfort. The refunds are related to construction materials purchased as part of the Worldport expansion project.

At yesterday’s KEDFA meeting, the package-delivery giant submitted the second of what will be three applications for such tax credits, according to Mike Mangeot, public relations manager for UPS in Louisville.

The company was approved for USD 15 million in sales tax refunds a year ago. The third application is planned for next year.

UPS announced its Worldport expansion plans in May 2006. UPS received preliminary approval for USD 31.6 million in tax incentives for up to 10 years when the project was announced. Those incentives were based on job creation. The expansion of Worldport is expected to create 1,284 full-time jobs and 3,787 permanent part-time positions.

UPS already is one of the largest employers in Kentucky, with more than 20,000 workers.

The project began last summer and is on schedule, Mangeot said. The first phase is expected to be finished in 2009 and the entire project in 2010.

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UPS selling Sinotrans stake for HKD 462.5m

United Parcel Service has offered to sell its entire stake in Sinotrans for as much as HKD 462.48 million, further cutting its ties with the mainland courier service provider after buying out their express delivery joint venture in 2005.

UPS was selling 124.65 million Sinotrans shares at between HKD 3.56 and HKD 3.71 each, a 2 per cent to 6 per cent discount to the stock’s closing price of HKD 3.79 yesterday, according to a term sheet sent to fund managers.

The shares represent 7 per cent of the Beijing company’s issued H shares or 2.9 per cent of its total issued share capital. Citigroup was the sale arranger.

UPS, one of the world’s leading package delivery companies, bought the stake when Sinotrans went public in February 2003.

The two companies parted ways in 2005 when UPS paid USD 100 million to buy Sinotrans’ 50 per cent stake in their venture after Beijing opened the market to foreign firms under its World Trade Organisation accession commitments.

Sinotrans also has a venture with Deutsche Post, the parent company of DHL, which raised its stake in the mainland firm to 13.3 per cent from 11.3 per cent in December 2005.

The company formed an express airline joint venture this year with Korean Air Lines, the world’s largest international air cargo carrier, to tap the mainland’s growing exports.

Sinotrans, the listed flagship of state-owned China National Foreign Trade Transportation (Group), saw its net profit drop 28 per cent to 618.8 million yuan last year due to declining freight rates.

Shares of Sinotrans fell 3.81 per cent yesterday, closing at HKD 3.79. The stock had surged 22 per cent over the past three months on speculation its parent would inject more assets into the firm and eventually list the entire group.

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