Future Billionaires Courted By UPS Contest Judges

Small Businesses Compete for $10,000, HP Computer, Consulting Services

ATLANTA, July 12, 2005 – Hula Hoops, personal computers, buying books online – all creative ideas that were developed by small businesses.

UPS has assembled a blue ribbon panel of judges under a special nationwide contest to look for similar creative ideas being pursued by today's small businesses. The winner of the UPS Best "Out-of-the-Box" Small Business Contest will receive cash and other prizes worth $15,000 plus a new HP computer and printer.

The judges include:
Norm Brodsky, Inc. magazine columnist and owner of Citistorage in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Benn R. Konsynski, Ph.D., George S. Craft Professor of Business Administration at the Emory University's Goizueta Business School in Atlanta.
Ed Baker, publisher of the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Kevin Gilroy, senior vice president and general manager, Worldwide Small and Medium Business, HP.
Deli Passi, president, Medalia Communications.
Jordan Colletta, vice president, Customer Technology Marketing, UPS.

U.S. small businesses with annual revenues in 2004 of at least $500,000 but not exceeding $10 million can enter the contest by simply submitting a 500-word essay online at www.ups.com/outofthebox that explains how the business is innovative. First-, second- and third-place prizes will be awarded. The first-place prize package contains: $10,000 in cash or $10,000 worth of free UPS package delivery services; a personal computer and printer provided by HP and equipped with UPS OnLine Tools, and 10 hours of UPS consulting services (a $5,000 value).

Entries may be submitted online at www.ups.com/outofthebox through Aug. 1, 2005. All entries must be completed by an employee or owner of an eligible business on behalf of that business, with a limit of one entry per business.

USPS: Weather Related Service Updates

USPS: Weather Related Service Updates

North Florida District - The Pensacola Processing and Distribution Center (ZIP Code 325) and Panama City Processing and Distribution Center (ZIP Code 324) are operational and drop shipment appointments are being accepted as of Wednesday, July 13. All Pensacola stations are back to full operation, although Easthill Station (32503) remains without power. Other ZIP Code area 325 Post Offices without power are: Bagdad (32530); Baker (32531); Gulf Breeze Main Office (32561); McDavid (32568); Milton Pace Annex (32570); and Molino (32577). There are limited delivery services in Gulf Breeze (Pensacola Beach) and Navarre (Santa Rosa Island) due to hurricane damage. In these locations temporary delivery is being established for approximately 1400 residents. The St. Marks Post Office (32355) is flooded and it will be several months before it can be restored. Customers can obtain postal services at the nearby Woodville Post Office until that time.

South Florida District - All suspensions and closures have been lifted and operations are back to normal.

Alabama District - The Montgomery (ZIP Codes 360-361, 368 and 367) and the Mobile Processing and Distribution Center are operational and accepting drop shipment appointments. Only the Atmore, AL, Post Office is using generators for power.

Mississippi District - All services have been restored and the Mississippi District is fully operational. There are no reports of major highway closures.

USPS: Tropical Depression Dennis Update 7/12 5pm

Tropical Depression Dennis Update
Hurricane Dennis has now been downgraded to a tropical depression.

Here is the service update for Tuesday, July 12, 5 p.m. ET

North Florida District - The Pensacola Processing and Distribution Center (ZIP Code 325) and Panama City Processing and Distribution Center (ZIP Code 324) are operational and drop shipment appointments will resume Wednesday, July 13. Three offices in Pensacola are without power and are offering limited retail services: Nobles (32504); Myrtle Grove (32506) and Easthill Station (32503). Ten other cities have post offices without power and are also offering limited retail services: Bagdad (32530); Baker (32531); Destin/Miramar Branch (32550); Ft. Walton Beach (32548); Gonzales (32560); Gulf Breeze (32561); Navarre (32566); McDavid (32568); Milton Pace Annex (32571); and Molino (32577). The St. Marks Post Office (32355) is flooded and it will be several months before it can be restored. Customers can obtain postal services at the nearby Woodville Post Office until that time.

South Florida District - All suspensions and closures have been lifted and operations are back to normal.

Alabama District - The Montgomery Plant (ZIP Codes 360-361, 368 and 367) is operational and will begin accepting drop shipment appointments on Tuesday, July 12, at 8:00 a.m. The Mobile Plant (ZIP Codes 363-366) is operational and will begin accepting drop shipment appointments on Wednesday, July 13, at 8:00 a.m. Only eight post offices remain on power provided by generators allowing them to be fully operational.

Mississippi District - All services have been restored and the Mississippi District is fully operational. There are no reports of major highway closures as of Tuesday, July 12.

Post Offices clean up after storm

DISSIPATING DENNIS
Post Offices clean up after storm

Tropical Depression Dennis is dumping rain throughout the Ohio River Valley today as Florida, Alabama and Mississippi Post Offices clean up from the deluge Dennis brought their way.

Flooded by Hurricane Dennis, the St. Marks, FL, Post Office will be closed for repairs for four months.

The Tallahassee Democrat reported that the Postal Service is working to make sure people in Pensacola and Wakulla County affected by the hurricane get their mail. One of the hardest hit offices was tiny St. Marks, FL, Post Office — flooded by the torrential downpours that accompanied Dennis.

It will take four months to repair the building, which housed only Post Office boxes and did not handle home delivery. Until St. Marks Post Office reopens, the 357 box holders can pick up their mail at the Woodville office.

Farther west in the Panhandle, many Post Offices are without power. Generators, fans and lights will be moved into the still-operable offices and service will continue. The Pensacola Post Office is open, but surrounding offices have limited retail. Because of the lack of power and the large number of employees that left the state to escape Dennis, carriers are delivering only 35% of the mail.

Home delivery today is expected to increase to 60% and be up to 100% in most places in Pensacola by Thursday.

USPS: Tropical Depression Dennis Update

Tropical Depression Dennis Update

Hurricane Dennis has now been downgraded to a tropical depression.

Here is the service update for Tuesday, July 12, 1:30 p.m. ET

North Florida District - The Pensacola Processing and Distribution Center (ZIP Code 325) has had its power restored. Drop shipments to this facility are currently suspended and conditions are being evaluated to determine when the suspension can be lifted.

Power outages continue to be a problem for many of the post offices and stations in the 325 ZIP Code area. Until power can be restored, Post Office Box, delivery and retail services are either suspended or very limited. In the 325 area, Niceville, 32578; Shalimar, 32579; Crestview, 32536, Valparaiso, 32580, and Pensacola's Warrington Station, 32507 have full power and are offering full retail and Post Office Box services. The Pensacola General Mail Facility is offering limited retail services but cannot accept Debit/Credit until telephone communication lines are restored.

Three offices in Pensacola have no power but are providing limited retail services — Nobles, 32504; Myrtle Grove, 32506 and Easthill Station, 32503. Ten associate offices have no power but are providing limited retail services — Bagdad, 32530;Baker, 32531; Destin/Miramar Branch 32550; Ft. Walton Beach,32548; Gonzales, 32560; Gulf Breeze, 32561; Navarre, 32566; McDavid, 32568; Milton Pace Annex, 32571 and Molino, 32577.

The Panama City Processing and Distribution Center is ramping up operations and will begin accepting drop shipment appointments Wednesday, July 13. The St. Marks Post Office, 32355, is flooded and customers can obtain retail services at the nearby Woodville Post Office, 32362.

South Florida District - All suspensions and closures have been lifted and operations are back to normal.

Alabama District - The Montgomery Processing and Distribution Center (ZIP Codes 360-361, 368 and 367) is operational and accepting drop shipment appointments. The Mobile Processing and Distribution Center (ZIP Codes 363-366) is operational and will begin accepting drop shipment appointments Wednesday, July 13, at 8:00 a.m. Only eight post offices are still using generator power.

Mississippi District - All services have been restored and the Mississippi District is fully operational. There are no reports of major highway closures as of Tuesday, July 12.

USPS: Tropical Depression Dennis Update

Tropical Depression Dennis Update
Hurricane Dennis has now been downgraded to a tropical depression and is heading for the Ohio River Valley. Heavy rains and high winds continue to cause flooding and power outages.

Here is the service update for Monday, July 11, 5 p.m. ET.

North Florida District - The Pensacola Processing and Distribution Center (ZIP Code 325) has had its power restored. Drop shipments to this facility are presently suspended and conditions are being evaluated to determine when the suspension can be lifted. Power outages continue to be a problem for many of the post offices and stations in the 325 ZIP Code area. Until power can be restored, Post Office Box, delivery and retail services are either suspended or very limited. In the 325 area, Niceville, 32578; Shalimar, 32579; Crestview, 32536, Valparaiso, 32580, and Pensacola's Warrington Station, 32507 have full power and are offering full retail and Post Office Box services. The Pensacola General Mail Facility is offering limited retail services but cannot accept Debit/Credit until telephone communication lines are restored. The Panama City Processing and Distribution Center is ramping up operations and will begin accepting drop shipment appointments Wednesday, July 13. The St. Marks Post Office, 32355, is flooded and customers can obtain retail services at the nearby Woodville Post Office, 32362.

South Florida District - All suspensions and closures have been lifted and operations are back to normal.

Alabama District - The Montgomery Plant (ZIP Codes 360-361, 368 and 367) is operational and will begin accepting drop shipment appointments on Tuesday, July 12, at 8:00 a.m. The Mobile Plant (ZIP Codes 363-366) is operational and will begin accepting drop shipment appointments on Wednesday, July 13, at 8:00 a.m. Flooding, power outages and lack of access are continuing to limit operations in some of the hardest hit areas. More than 50 offices are reported to be without power. As power is restored, Post Office Box, delivery and retail services will be reinstated.

Mississippi - The Gulfport Processing and Distribution Center is operational and accepting drop shipment appointments. The business mail acceptance unit is accepting mailings. Highway access continues to be limited. Delivery and retail units are operational as of Monday, July 11, although local conditions (flooding, road closures and power outages) may limit the services provided. Silas, AL , 36919; Lauderdale, MS, 39335, and Lisman, AL 36912 are without power at this time . They are offering limited retail services and are operating on generator power.

Atlanta, South Georgia and Tennessee Districts - All Plants are operational at this time. Some offices are experiencing power outages and/or flooding due to heavy rains and winds. These conditions are expected to continue Monday into Tuesday.

USPS: Hurricane Dennis Overview

TRACKING DENNIS. Hurricane-force winds, heavy rains, tornadoes and flooding have left more than 500,000 Alabama and Florida homes without power. This after hurricane Dennis made landfall near Pensacola, FL, yesterday afternoon then headed inland toward Alabama. Officials say it may take up to three weeks to restore power. Florida, Alabama and Mississippi have been declared disaster areas.

Postal facilities in the storm’s path were closed Friday and then Saturday as the storm made its way past the Florida Keys and up the Gulf Coast. Offices in Pensacola and Panama City, FL, closed early Saturday in preparation for the hurricane.

In Alabama, all postal facilities in the Mobile service area closed and Montgomery P&DC suspended operations as evacuations and curfews were enforced. Both facilities are expected to be open today. In Mississippi, Gulfport P&DC remained open throughout the storm, but road closures limited access to the facility. Get service updates at usps.com.

UPS Expands Early Morning Delivery Zips by Thousands

UPS Expands Early Morning Delivery Zips by Thousands

ATLANTA, July 11, 2005 – UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced it has expanded its U.S. premium early morning delivery territory with more than 7,200 new ZIP codes. The move extends UPS's leadership for early morning delivery with service to some 19,200 ZIP codes across the country.

With these additions, more than 77 percent of the population can receive UPS Next Day Air® Early A.M.® deliveries up to two hours prior to regular guaranteed overnight service, or as early as 8:00 a.m. in some areas.

UPS was the first express carrier to offer this early morning product nearly 10 years ago. This guaranteed service provides an option for both urgent need shipments and daily early morning stock replenishment. Saturday service is also available to certain destinations.

"The strength of the UPS integrated network is our ability to tighten operations and flex our system to respond to changing customer needs," said Rick Campana, UPS marketing vice president. "Now, we can offer shippers an expanded early morning territory to reach more of their customers with this premium service."

The need for earlier UPS deliveries in outer metro areas has been fueled by technology, infrastructure growth and increasingly mobile workforces. Examples of when UPS Next Day Air Early A.M. makes a difference can vary from the medical center requesting an early shipment of different heart valves before morning surgery to the industrial equipment distributor who wants a part for a service technician to pick up enroute to a customer repair. Early morning premium shipments leverage time zone differences, so that signed licensing agreements can arrive in Silicon Valley prior to a morning teleconference with East Coast software developers.

Shipment to the expanded destinations for UPS Next Day Air Early A.M. can be processed on Web-based systems such as UPS Internet Shipping and UPS CampusShip™. Next week, more than 400,000 installed UPS WorldShip® proprietary systems will automatically add the new Zip code destinations, and UPS compatible systems will be available for upgrades. A complete listing of UPS Next Day Air Early A.M. Zip codes is available on UPS.com.

USPS: Hurricane Dennis Update #6

Hurricane Dennis Update
Hurricane Dennis has been downgraded to a tropical storm and is heading for the Ohio River Valley. Heavy rains and high winds continue to cause flooding and power outages.

Here is the service update for Monday, July 11, 12 p.m. ET.

North Florida District - The Pensacola Processing and Distribution Center (ZIP Code 325) remains without power. Drop shipments to this facility are suspended until further notice. Power remains out to most Post Offices and stations in the 325 ZIP Code area. Until power can be restored, Post Office Box, delivery and retail services are either suspended or very limited. In the Pensacola area, Niceville, 32578; Shalimar, 32579; Crestview, 32536, and Valparaiso, 32580, have power and PO Box, delivery and retail services are gradually being restored. The Panama City Processing and Distribution Center is ramping up operations and will begin accepting drop shipment appointments Wednesday, July 13. The St. Marks Post Office, 32355, is flooded and customers can obtain retail services at the nearby Woodville Post Office, 32362.

South Florida District - All suspensions and closures have been lifted and operations are back to normal.

Alabama District - The Montgomery Plant (ZIP Codes 360-361, 368 and 367) and Mobile Plant (ZIP Codes 363-366) are beginning to ramp up their operations and plan to begin accepting drop shipment appointments Wednesday, July 13. Flooding, power outages and lack of access are continuing to limit operations in some of the hardest hit areas. More than 50 offices are reported to be without power. As power is restored, Post Office Box, delivery and retail services will be reinstated.

Mississippi District - The Gulfport Processing and Distribution Center is operational and accepting drop shipment appointments. The business mail acceptance unit is accepting mailings. Highway access continues to be limited. Delivery and retail units are operational as of Monday, July 11, although local conditions (flooding, road closures and power outages) may limit the services provided. York, AL; Gilbertown, AL; Toxey, AL; Silas, AL; Marion, MS, and Lauderdale, MS, are without power at this time.

Atlanta, South Georgia and Tennessee Districts - All Plants are operational at this time. Some offices are experiencing power outages and/or flooding due to heavy rains and winds. These conditions are expected to continue Monday into Tuesday.

USPS: Hurricane Dennis Update #5

Hurricane Dennis Update

Here is the latest service update as of July 10, 6 p.m. ET.

Hurricane Dennis has reached land in the Pensacola, FL, area with winds at 120 mph. It is moving inland with continued high winds and extremely heavy rainfall. Reports of flooding and power outages are being received. This message will be updated as information becomes available. Updates will occur no less than twice daily for as long as necessary.

North Florida District - All postal facilities in ZIP Code area 325 — including the Pensacola Processing and Distribution Center and all delivery and retail units — are closed at this time. Drop shipments to these facilities are suspended. Express Mail scheduled for delivery Sunday, July 10, will not be delivered until conditions are safe to do so. Panama City (ZIP Code area 324) is also closed to drop shipments at the plant and delivery and retail units. Information about delivery, Post Office Box, retail services and processing and distribution center operations will be updated once the impact of the hurricane is known.

South Florida District - All suspensions and closures have been lifted. Normal operations are expected beginning Monday, July 11.

Alabama District - All postal facilities in the Mobile area are closed at this time. Many power outages are being reported. The Montgomery Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) operations have been suspended until further notice. All Drop Shipments to the Montgomery P&DC (ZIP Code 360-361, 368 and 367) and Mobile P&DC (ZIP Code 363-366) are suspended. This message will be updated with individual office closure information once the impact of the hurricane is known.

Mississippi District - The Gulfport Processing and Distribution Center is operational and accepting drop shipments. Accessibility to the plant is limited with many highway closures being reported. Customer service delivery and retail units are expected to be in operation on Monday, July 11, although some local conditions (flooding, power outages) may limit the services provided.