The UPS Store is celebrating its 40th anniversary and honoring its franchisees for their dedication to saying “yes” to meet the needs of every customer.
In October 1980 when center 0001 opened in Carlsbad, CA, it was a whole new category of business. Forty years and nearly 5,000 stores later, The UPS Store has evolved to serve a broader base of customers, providing communities with the largest network of retail shipping, postal and business services in the country. However, the real history of The UPS Store is told through our franchisees. They come from all walks of life; they’re trailblazers and mavericks, and include former accountants, engineers, computer programmers, firefighters and funeral directors. They take pride in owning their own business. They are people with grit, a can-do attitude and a willingness to stay the course. They invented, and continue to reinvent, the retail category of business services.
The entrepreneurial adventure for Area Franchise Developers Ken and Jane Gordon began after they moved to Florida in 1981. Ken muses that the business they have today versus the business they began 40 years ago is like night and day. After many years of extremely hard work, the whole family is now involved in the business. Ken says, “You wrap your entire life up in a business and you want it to be successful. It doesn’t happen overnight, but when it does happen, you can look back over all the difficult years and say, ‘This was worth it.’”
For franchisee Deb Cain, it’s about leaving a legacy for her special needs son so he can continue to enjoy a happy life once she’s no longer able to care for him. In fact, her store is like another child. She says, “At night, when I’m closing the store, and it’s quiet, I tell my store, ‘Mommy loves you, and I’ll be back in the morning.’”Today, The UPS Store network is comprised of individuals, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters and generations of families who have grown up saying “yes” to meet the needs of small business owners and communities. The UPS Store franchisees are committed to providing only the best results, ensuring that each customer they serve will be surprised and delighted in every interaction. Our franchisees recognize that it’s not always simply about the service they’re providing, it’s about what it represents. When a franchisee was tasked with shipping 20 pounds of fresh ravioli to a customer’s daughter attending her first year of college far from home, she realized she wasn’t just shipping ravioli, she was shipping comfort and love from a father to his daughter.
Customers are more than just customers at The UPS Store. Franchisee Priya Patel was moved by an encounter with a customer while in a grocery store with her children, “a customer said, ‘Hey, excuse me, you’re from The UPS Store. You guys are absolutely amazing, thank you for being here in the hardest of times.’”
Our franchisees love what they do, and it shows. Franchisee Brandon Phillips shares, “When customers tell me, ‘I travel from 10 miles away to come here because of your staff, or because you guys are always smiling,’ that means a lot. That’s an awesome feeling.”
Many can’t think of anything else they would want to do. When owner Tom Reese lost his store to a fire in 2011, he felt like he was losing his baby. But thanks to his dedication and perseverance, he was able to rebuild and his store is now better than ever.
Whether a franchisee opened their store yesterday or 40 years ago, they have much to be proud of. Each has built something they can call their own and in turn support the brand strength of The UPS Store. Please join us in celebrating 40 years of always saying “yes” and delivering a world-class customer experience. If you’re interested in becoming part of The UPS Store family, reach out to our franchise development team or continue navigating through our website to learn more.
