Your Campaign Printing & Document Service

Are you a Campbell River City Council or School Trustee Candidate? Need those flyers, brochures and business cards for your campaign? Look no further than your local UPS store in the Campbell River Common! Unlike other locations in town, out in-house design team can create your business card for you and print as many as you need, in FULL COLOUR! We also have the ability to do full colour printing and buckling of tri-fold brochures!

Hurry in! Election day will be here before you know it!

 

Global Uncertainty Prompting SMEs to Forfeit Advantage of Strong Loonie

90% of holiday inventory to come from Canada despite overseas cost-savings

Canada’s small businesses are choosing to forfeit cost-saving opportunities in the U.S. and overseas in the run up to the 2011 holiday season, seeing Canada as one of the few safe havens in the international economy.

According to a quarterly survey of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) commissioned by UPS Canada and released today, 90 per cent of SMEs’ holiday season inventory will come from within Canada’s borders and a comparable percentage of that inventory (91%) will be sold within Canada as well.

The numbers come on the heels of the most recent international currency valuations that peg the loonie at $0.97 USD, a figure that would normally prompt a business to seek cost-saving opportunities internationally or across the border.

“Given the instability in the U.S. economy this year, as well as the volatility in European markets, many businesses are hunkering down and focusing on the Canadian market, which has remained relatively steady thus far,” said UPS Canada President Mike Tierney.

Yet, the numbers also serve as an indication of growing isolationism among Canadian SMEs, many of which are ruling out the possibility of exploring export opportunities in emerging markets. Despite recent predictions by Export Development Canada that markets outside the U.S. will account for half of Canada’s exports by 2025, 66 per cent of SMEs interviewed say they have no intention of ever exporting to emerging markets.

Those SMEs that do engage in export are still predominantly anchoring to the U.S. market with 30 per cent increasing exports to the U.S. in the past six months compared with 18 per cent who have increased exports to emerging markets.

However, there is some evidence that the overwhelming reluctance to pursue cost efficiencies overseas may dissipate as the global economy improves. In fact, one in four SMEs surveyed (24%) say that current economic conditions are a primary barrier to starting or expanding an export practice.

“Many small businesses rely on the holiday season to bring in a significant portion of their annual revenue, so they’re reluctant to seek out new opportunities overseas – be they import or export – at that time of year because they naturally see the volatility as too risky,” said Tierney. “However, I would encourage these businesses to seek cost savings and growth by exploring international opportunities during quieter periods.”

Almost one-third of SMEs (29 per cent) see export as either a risky endeavour with questionable ROI or not worth the investment and headaches. Only one in five (21%) see it as a competitive necessity that offers significant growth potential.

The survey further revealed that many SMEs prefer to keep commerce close to home. Asked which countries would be their top three choice targets among a new group of emerging markets, Mexico was selected by the highest number of respondents (66 per cent) with South Korea and the Philippines as the runners up (44 and 42 per cent respectively).

About the survey

From August 12nd to August 22nd, 2011, an online survey was conducted among a sample of 548 Canadian small and medium business owners who are Angus Reid Forum panel members. The margin of error on the full base – which measures sampling variability — is +/- 4.1%. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

 

Wanted: Consumers Seeking Flexibility and Control Over Home Package Delivery

If you love to shop, work from home or expect to receive more than your fair share of packages this holiday season, add UPS My Choice^sm to your list of must-haves and register for a chance to win in the Win What You Want Sweepstakessponsored by UPS (NYSE: UPS).

UPS is awarding prizes to 25 lucky winners. The prizes have a maximum total retail value of about $238,996. Consumers registering for UPS My Choice between Sept. 14, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2011, are automatically entered in the sweepstakes. Consumers can also enter via mail.

“UPS My Choice is a first-of-its-kind service that arms the consumer with the ability to know when a package is coming and then to control the time and location of the home delivery before the first delivery attempt is even made,” said Alan Gershenhorn, chief sales and marketing officer for UPS. “It’s all about consumer choice and the Win What You Want Sweepstakes celebrates consumer choice by enabling winners to choose their own prize packages.”

Winners will be randomly selected during a drawing conducted on or about Jan. 20, 2012, by an independent judging organization, D.L. Blair, Inc. Each winner will choose one prize package from a specified list of events, including a 2012 Live Nation Concert, a NASCAR race, a NCAA game or a PGA European Tour event.

The prize packages are layered in three tiers – Grand, First and Second. Two Grand Prize winners will be selected and each will win what they want from prize packages ranging in value from approximately $8,552 to $15,300. For example, an available Grand Prize package includes tickets for the winner plus three guests to attend the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, round-trip air fare, lodging, ground transportation to and from the airport along with $2,000 (check or gift cards) in spending money!

If golf is what you want, a Grand Prize winner could select the PGA European Tour package, which includes tickets for two, round-trip air fare, lodging, ground transportation to and from the airport plus $2,000 (check or gift cards) in spending money to one of the following events: Open de Espana, BMW Championship, Portugal Masters, HSBC Championship, Singapore Open or the Hong Kong Open.

Three First Prize winners will be selected and given their choice from Elite College Sports, NASCAR, NCAA or Live Nation prize packages. The Elite College Sports Package consists of tickets, airfare, lodging, ground transportation plus $2,000 in spending money (check or gift cards) for the winner and three guests to attend a top-notch collegiate athletic event such as the SEC, Pac-12 or Big Ten Football Championship, the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship or a key conference football or basketball game.

Twenty Second Prizes will be awarded, each with an approximate value of $8,552.

To register for this ground-breaking service or for more information about UPS My Choice and the Win What You Want Sweepstakes, including prize descriptions, odds statement, and details for mail-in entry, visit ups.com/mychoice/pr. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Open only to residents, age 18 or older, of the 50 United States and Washington, DC. Sweepstakes ends on 12/31/11.

 

UPS Supports Canadian Communities with Grants Totalling More Than US$200,000

By the end of the summer, The UPS Foundation will have provided more than US$200,000 to charitable organizations across Canada. One of the recipients, Volunteer Canada, received a US$100,000 grant, which will provide much-needed support for multiple facets of their organization.

Volunteer Canada is the national voice for volunteerism in Canada. Since 1977, the agency has been committed to supporting volunteerism and civic participation through national initiatives and by engaging in research and training across the country. The grant will be welcomed support as Volunteer Canada develops a model detailing how to establish a local volunteer centre and launch a volunteer centre training network. Volunteer centres are crucial to the participation and success of volunteer initiatives across the country.

“This grant is a good fit for us because volunteering is at the core of UPS’s values. It is part of our legacy,” says Mike Tierney, UPS Canada president and chair of Volunteer Canada’s Corporate Council on Volunteering, comprised of more than 20 corporate leaders committed to advancing the cause of volunteering in Canada. “Giving back to the communities where we live and work is a top priority for UPS. If we can help Volunteer Canada promote the benefits of volunteerism to individuals and organizations alike, then we are happy to support them in any way we can.”

UPS employees have a strong relationship with Volunteer Canada. Most notably, Tierney, along with the other members of the Corporate Council on Volunteering, last year pledged more than 800,000 hours of employee volunteer time for an initiative called Power of the Hour. In partnership with Volunteer Canada and Getinvolved.ca, Power of the Hour is a national online campaign challenging Canadians to commit two million volunteer hours in 2010. The Council reached their goal within three months of the launch.

“I would like to thank UPS for its continued support of Volunteer Canada and commend the company for its strong commitment to the cause of volunteerism,” says Ruth MacKenzie, president & CEO of Volunteer Canada. “Volunteer centres play a vital role supporting Canada’s 12.5 million volunteers and the generous contribution by UPS will help build healthy, sustainable communities across the country.”

Some other grants distributed by The UPS Foundation in Canada in 2011 include:

On May 5, twenty UPS employees participated in the Habitat for Humanity (H4H) Women’s Build in Toronto and brought with them a US$10,000 grant to cover the participant fees. All funding received from the build went directly to building materials for homes for families in need. H4H mobilizes volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting home ownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty.

On May 11, Odd Squad Productions (OSP) accepted a US$9,733 grant to go towards an edit suite, which will produce high-quality productions and internet broadcast capabilities to support thousands of youth in isolated towns across Canada. OSP produces internationally acclaimed award-winning documentaries, illustrating real-life stories of the pitfalls of drug use and abuse. The organization uses these films as educational tools for youth. OSP received an additional US$5,000 grant to be used towards their annual premier fundraising event, the OSP Gala which took place in June.

On June 1, Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation was presented with a grant of more than US$5,000 at the UPS facility in Fraser Valley, B.C. The funds are allocated to produce an updated video for volunteer recruitment and training to inspire recruiters and volunteers, who play a vital role in the care of patients and their families.

On June 8, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice accepted a US$9,590 grant at the UPS Coastal Centre in B.C. to purchase two medical beds. Canuck Place offers a comprehensive continuum of care to children and teens with life-threatening illnesses and their families, free of charge.

On June 30, YMCA in Fredericton, NB, received a US$50,000 grant to cover the cost of much needed equipment in the Early Childhood Development Centre. This equipment will be used to enhance its community programming. It is the largest grant the city of Fredericton has received from The UPS Foundation!

On July 13, Meal Exchange accepted a $15,055 US grant at the UPS Toronto facility. Meal Exchange is a youth-driven charity organized to address local hunger by mobilizing the talent and passion of students. The grant will be used towards the Trick or Eat food drive, as costumed youth will collect donations of non-perishable food items instead of candy on Halloween. Support of this initiative will help Meal Exchange improve volunteer management, leadership development and build its technological capacity.

UPS’s grant program highlights the company’s philosophy of striking a balance between financial contributions and hands-on volunteer hours. Organizations are nominated for grants by UPS employees and must have benefited from 50 hours of hands-on volunteering from UPS employees to qualify. UPS Canada employees volunteered over 19,000 hours to more than 260 charitable organizations across Canada in 2010.

 

Montreal Student Receives Scholarship from The UPS Foundation

Lara Hamelin, a recent graduate at John Abbott College in Montreal, has been chosen as one of 131 winners of the James E. Casey Scholarship, an annual award presented by The UPS Foundation, the charitable arm of UPS. The scholarships are awarded to children of UPS employees.

James E. Casey scholarships range from US$8,000 to $24,000 over four years of undergraduate study. Winners are determined through a nationwide competition conducted by Scholarship America (SA), an independent organization. “Higher education can help create many great opportunities,” said Ken Sternad, president of The UPS Foundation. “We are proud that these scholarships will help the children of UPS employees achieve and reach their goals and dreams.” The 19-year-old scholarship winner is the daughter of Hanya Hladky and Michael Hamelin of Montreal and will attend Queens University in the fall. Hanya is employed as a part-time customer service representative at UPS. Over the years, Lara has received many awards, including a Student Life Award from the debate club, two Gold Medal Science Fair Awards, the Vice-Principal Award from Queen of Angels Academy, the Father Josaphat Jean Foundation Bursary for Academic Achievement and the prestigious Quebec Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Academic Achievement. Lara performs with a community theatre group, Pegasus Performing Arts, is a camp counselor at Camp DLC, and was an active member of the John Abbott College Student Union. She continually gives back to her community and has volunteered with the intellectually handicapped and for the John Abbott College Spring Fest Committee. She currently volunteers for the Kirkland Day Planning Committee. Lara was awarded her scholarship certificate by John-Wesley Hay, Customer Service Manager, in a presentation ceremony at the UPS Lachine facility on June 7. Established in 1964, the James E. Casey Scholarship is named for one of the founders of UPS. The small Seattle, Washington, messenger service he started in 1907 along with several other teenagers has become the world’s largest package and express delivery company. More than 3,250 James E. Casey Scholarships have been awarded, totaling more than US$36.6 million, since the inception of the program. In 1998, UPS opened the program to children of part-time UPS employees. As a result, the company will award 26 scholarships to these students, in addition to the 105 scholarships for children of full-time employees.

 

UPS Scores Big with Historic College Sports Marketing Deals

Logistics Leader Signs Multi-Year Agreements With IMG College, Big Ten and Pac-12 Conferences

UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced a significant expansion of its collegiate sports sponsorship program with the addition of new multi-year agreements with IMG College and the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences.

The sponsorships provide UPS with access to college sports fans in top markets across the country as well as multi-tiered marketing relationships with many of the nation’s elite collegiate athletic programs.

In 2010, UPS announced sponsorship agreements with the National Collegiate Athletic Association and Southeastern Conference, becoming the official logistics partner for both in addition to obtaining marketing and licensing rights and hospitality opportunities at championship games and other events.

“Through these new alliances, UPS secures one of the largest sponsorship profiles in Division I college sports, opening the door for exciting B to B growth opportunities with the conferences and individual schools along with an unprecedented range of marketing, advertising, branding and hospitality assets,” said Ron Rogowski, UPS vice president, sponsorships and events. “These partnerships also give us a compelling communications platform to share the message that whether you’re a small business owner or a championship football coach, UPS’s mastery of logistics can help you succeed.”

The new relationship with IMG College, a division of IMG Worldwide, provides UPS a national footprint with local reach through sponsorship opportunities with 68 IMG university partners across the country. UPS will receive rights to a vast array of marketing assets, channels and intellectual property to reach college sports fans, game day activation at 250 college venues, high impact media across TV, radio and digital channels and customized integrated marketing platforms aligned to UPS business objectives.

Also under the agreement, UPS will enjoy exclusivity for all marketing and promotional rights in the shipping, freight and logistics category related to the schools’ athletic programs. In addition, UPS will become the official logistics, package delivery and retail business services provider in all forms of sponsor recognition in athletics, including on-campus, in-stadium, licensing, and broadcast, print and web outlets. The marketing rights and business development opportunities also extend to The UPS Store, which will allow the company to activate its sponsorship at a local level, campus by campus.

“This is truly an historic announcement in the annals of sports marketing,” said George Pyne, President of Sports and Entertainment at IMG Worldwide. “IMG has built the first national college sports marketing platform allowing blue chip brands like UPS to reach the largest and most affluent fan base in sports. We’ve assembled the intellectual property, marketing assets, media channels and service infrastructure for one-stop shopping, which was never previously available. We are confident UPS will be the first of many national brands to capture the pride and passion of college sports through this new national marketing opportunity.”

UPS’s new agreements with the Big Ten and Pac-12 provide similar marketing rights with each conference, including category exclusive rights for UPS and The UPS Store, tickets and hospitality for UPS customers and employees at conference championship events and key individual school games throughout the year.

“We’re extremely excited to add the premier college sports marketing organization and two of the most highly regarded collegiate athletic conferences to our sponsorship portfolio,” added Rogowski. “This expansion allows UPS to extend its college sports presence to the full collegiate landscape – on campus, through alumni associations, and the athletic programs appealing to the 172 million college sports fans across the country.”

About the Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in student-athletes’ lives and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The broad-based athletic programs of the 12 Big Ten institutions sponsor 298 teams competing for championships in 25 official conference sports, 12 for men and 13 for women. Big Ten universities provide in excess of $120 million in athletic scholarship aid to more than 9,500 men and women student-athletes. For more information, visit www.bigten.org.

 

Conservation and Technology Help UPS Deliver Better Fuel Efficiency

Company Avoids Driving 63.5 million miles in 2010

UPS (NYSE: UPS) today released the latest edition of its annual Sustainability Report, disclosing it had once again managed to reduce the amount of fuel it’s using to deliver each package in the United States.

UPS’s U.S. package volume rose 1.8 percent in 2010 compared to 2009, but it reduced the amount of fuel consumed per package by 3.3 percent. The company attributed the improvement to deploying the right vehicle on the right routes, using technology to minimize the miles driven and focusing on how behavior can affect fuel use.

All told, technology enabled UPS to avoid driving more than 63.5 million miles in 2010 with an associated emissions avoidance of 68,000 metric tonnes. That distance is the equivalent of 251,987 trips to the International Space Station.

“Fuel represents not only a major cost factor for UPS but also a major source of emissions that impact the environment. It makes sense for UPS to report extensively on how the company is doing its best to lower its net fuel use,” said Scott Wicker, UPS chief sustainability officer.

The new report, found at ups.com/sustainability, spotlights key ways that UPS technology has reduced fuel consumption:

• Routing technology, which enabled UPS to reduce the miles flown and driven.
• Loading optimization so that more packages are being delivered with fewer vehicles on the road.
• Telematics, which provides data on how a vehicle performs mechanically as well as on a driver’s route and behavior behind the wheel. Telematics saved 15.4 million minutes of engine idling time in 2010.

“The data we gather from Telematics enables us to make small adjustments with big payoffs,” said Wicker. “For example, one of our metrics is ‘stops per mile,’ which measures our ability to deliver more packages with fewer engine restarts. Increasing the number of stops per mile by just 0.01 percent in 2010 was the equivalent of not driving 9.13 million miles.”

In this year’s report, UPS has increased its reporting in several areas. Water usage, Scope 3 emissions, the financial value of in-kind transportation donations to charity, details about carbon offset purchases and the company’s long-term “decarbonization” strategy all are detailed. UPS also becomes the first U.S. corporation to use a major accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, to “assure” its sustainability report. The report also was reviewed by the Global Reporting Initiative.

Other highlights include:

• UPS’s alternative fuel/advanced technology vehicle fleet topped 200 million miles driven since 2000.
• More than 5,289 employees now are included in the UPS Circle of Honor, which recognizes drivers who have driven for 25 years without an avoidable accident.  Collectively these drivers have driven 5 billion miles, the equivalent of circling the earth 188,000 times.
• Total charitable contributions reached $97.1 million in 2010.
• Employees logged 1.2 million volunteer hours in 2010.
• UPS’s greenhouse gas inventory (direct and indirect) was verified and certified by third-parties for the first time.

“This sustainability report outlines how UPS supports social, environmental and economic value not only today but for the foreseeable future,” added UPS Chairman and CEO Scott Davis.

 

UPS Launches Express Flights to Fast-Growing Chengdu

Atlanta, July 26, 2011

New Service Further Expands Connections Between Asia, Europe and United States

UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced it will begin operating new flights into Chengdu, China, further expanding the company’s connections between Asia, Europe and the United States.

The “around-the-world” flight through Chengdu will originate in UPS’s European hub in Cologne, Germany, and make a stop in Warsaw before transiting Chengdu’s Shuangliu International Airport, China’s sixth largest cargo and passenger facility. It then will operate to UPS’s Asia hub in Shanghai. The daily MD-11 flight began Monday.

“China’s ‘Go West’ program is making it very attractive for companies to move production facilities to inland cities like Chengdu and we believe the area is poised for accelerated growth in express shipping,” commented UPS International President Dan Brutto.

Chengdu is the capital of China’s western Sichuan province and is growing rapidly. Gross Domestic Product in the city of 13 million has grown by approximately 15 percent each of the past two years and the province’s retail sales swelled nearly 19% in 2010. Its foreign trade surged 36% in 2010 to US$32.78 billion.

With the Chengdu flight, UPS now will connect Europe and Asia with a total of 24 flights per week, providing more next day options, guaranteed, than any logistics carrier. The Chengdu flight represents another step in UPS’s ever-growing China network. The company serves 330 cities in China and operates 200 weekly flights connecting China to markets around the world.

 

Shipments via UPS Mail Innovations Now Can Be Tracked on UPS.com

Atlanta, July 11, 2011

UPS Mail Innovations, the business mail services unit of UPS (NYSE: UPS), today announced that tracking information for its shipments now is available on UPS.com, providing recipients an easy way to track the progress of their packages and mail pieces.

UPS Mail Innovations manages the pick-up, processing and sorting of companies’ outbound flat mail pieces, bound printed matter and parcels weighing less than one pound such as books, CDs, catalogs and small products. UPS Mail Innovations weighs and sorts the mail pieces and applies the postage before delivering the pieces to the U.S.Postal Service (USPS) for final delivery.

The new UPS Mail Innovations tracking capabilities on UPS.com provides tracking information for the mail pieces from the time they are picked up for processing to the point at which UPS Mail Innovations tenders the pieces to the USPS for final delivery. There is no fee for this tracking capability. Delivery confirmation information is available to customers who select it.

“This enhancement to UPS Mail Innovations’ portfolio of services enables our customers to provide increased visibility into shipments as they make their way to recipients,” said John Walsh, vice president of sales and marketing, UPS Mail Innovations. “UPS.com provides an easy-to-use platform for recipients to check on the status of their shipments, further expanding UPS’s overall logistics capabilities.”

UPS.com receives approximately 26.2 million tracking requests per day.

UPS Mail Innovations, a subsidiary of UPS, is a work-share partner with multiple global postal authorities, including the USPS. Helping companies more efficiently and effectively manage their outbound mail while pursuing maximum postage savings, UPS Mail Innovations is an important component of UPS’s expanding portfolio of logistics services. For more information, visit upsmailinnovations.com.

 

The UPS Store to Award Small Business Big Advertising Tools in Online Contest

San Diego, July 13, 2011

Facebook Program to Give Winning Small Business Owner A $50,000 Marketing Makeover

The UPS Store® network announced today that it will launch a Facebook contest called “The Promotion Promotion” on July 18. The contest, designed to arm small business owners with tools and resources to promote their business, runs through Aug. 31. The grand prize winner will receive an integrated marketing campaign valued up to $50,000.

Small business owners can enter the contest by visiting The UPS Store corporate Facebook page. Grand prize submissions will be evaluated by a panel of experts and the winner will be chosen based on the contestant’s passion for small business. Official rules, including criteria for the grand prize and contest eligibility, will be available on The UPS Store corporate Facebook page starting July 18.

“Every The UPS Store franchisee is a small business owner, so we know how challenging it can be to promote and grow a company,” said Michelle Van Slyke, who oversees marketing for The UPS Store network. “The Promotion Promotion contest is all about providing small business owners with resources they can use to help grow their business.”

The Promotion Promotion sweepstakes also will award up to $3,000 in weekly prizes, including an Apple iPad 2 with Square and gift cards from American Express, The UPS Store and Costco. Contestants can enter for a chance to win the weekly prize drawing by dropping their name into a virtual fishbowl.

Doner, The UPS Store network’s advertising agency of record, will work with the grand prize winner to examine the business’ needs, develop a marketing plan, produce creative and run it in appropriate media.

In addition, The UPS Store network will offer Facebook-only coupons for discounts on business-related services at participating The UPS Store franchise locations. Starting the second week, fans choose the next week’s offer by crowdsourcing via Facebook Questions. The Promotion Promotion tab also will stream relevant articles from the business section of msnbc.com.

The UPS Store centers help with the logistics of running a small business, including mailboxes with a real street address, packing and shipping services and professional printing services such as: color and black-and white prints; binding; lamination; finishing, and folding. Customers can select from a variety of print products, including presentations, flyers and brochures, business cards, menus and more. Participating locations also offer online printing and wide-format printing.

For more information on The UPS Store products or services, or to find a location near you, please visit theupsstore.com/logistics.