From Seattle messengers to a global network
Jim Casey and Claude Ryan started the American Messenger Company in Seattle in 1907 with a $100 loan. The business moved from messages to retail package delivery, adopted the United Parcel Service name in 1919, launched its own airline in 1988, and listed on the NYSE in 1999. Today UPS is headquartered in Atlanta and serves more than 200 countries and territories.
How the business works
UPS reports three segments: U.S. Domestic Package, International Package, and Supply Chain Solutions. Most network costs are fixed, so profit depends on route density and on the mix of shipments. In 2025 the company handled an average of 20.8 million packages a day, or about 5.2 billion for the year.
Financial picture
Revenue peaked at $100.3 billion in 2022, then fell to $91.0 billion in 2023 after the Teamsters contract talks and slower parcel demand. 2025 revenue was $88.7 billion with net income of $5.6 billion. In Q2 2026 UPS reported $22.8 billion in revenue and adjusted operating profit of $2.1 billion, and raised its 2026 revenue outlook to about $91.2 billion.
Smaller network, higher yield
Under CEO Carol Tomé, UPS decided in 2025 to cut Amazon volume by more than half. It eliminated about 48,000 operational positions and closed more than 90 buildings that year, then planned up to 30,000 more operational reductions in 2026. In July 2026 it said the Amazon glide-down was complete, while U.S. Domestic revenue grew on higher revenue per piece.
Healthcare as a growth area
UPS completed its $1.6 billion purchase of Andlauer Healthcare Group in November 2025, adding cold-chain capacity in Canada and the United States to earlier healthcare deals such as Marken and MNX.
