[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 18, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1553]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING UNITED PARCEL SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JOHN A. YARMUTH

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 16, 2007

  Mr. YARMUTH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of my home 
town of Louisville's largest employer and one of its greatest corporate 
citizens: The United Parcel Service, UPS. For one quarter of UPS's 100 
year history, it has located its international hub in Louisville, 
Kentucky forging a partnership that has facilitated tremendous growth 
for both the company and our city.
  Louisville has undoubtedly been good for UPS. They have built a four 
million square feet facility that processes more than 300,000 packages 
an hour, using 122 miles of conveyor belt and enough fiber optic cable 
to stretch from coast to coast four times. UPS went public with the 
highest initial public offering in the history of the New York Stock 
Exchange, reached a milestone that saw its services reach an astounding 
two-thirds of the world's six billion people, and--keeping with the 
times--just won the Clean Air Excellence Award for its ``Green Fleet'', 
which has logged more than 100 million miles.
  But UPS has also been very good for Louisville. Let me tell you a 
little bit about what Brown has done for us.
  UPS employs 20,000 members of our community and will hire 5,000 more 
after it completes a one billion dollar renovation to our airport--only 
the latest major improvement at least in part due to UPS's influence. 
But that is just a fraction of the story. Because they are not merely 
jobs, but good ones. We are fortunate that our largest employer pays 
wages on which a family can be raised, health benefits for personnel, 
and even college tuition for part-time workers. Through the 
Metropolitan partnership with the city and area universities, UPS has 
paid the tuition for thousands of Louisville students, giving them a 
chance to pursue fulfilling careers at UPS while earning a college 
degree.
  Of the four billion people around the world who benefit from UPS, few 
can claim the advantages we gain in Louisville--not just the employees, 
but all who are helped by their economic development initiatives, 
community service, and commitment to our community. I congratulate 
UPS--the world's largest package delivery company--on its first 
successful century and hope that the next one yields continued success 
in our home of Louisville, Kentucky.

                          ____________________