United Parcel Service Inc. CEO Mike Eskew kicked off the company’s first-ever worldwide community service drive last week with a trip to China, where he and 60 other UPS employees are building a computer lab for a primary school in Hebei Province.
His visit is part of Atlanta-based UPS’ Global Volunteer Week, which encourages company employees to volunteer in their local communities.
“China is such an important market for UPS,” said Rebecca Treacy-Lenda, a spokesperson for the company. “And since this is our first global volunteer week, we really wanted it to be representative of UPS’ global business interests.”
The company has partnered in China with SinoTrans Ltd., a logistics firm, and operates direct flights to China six times a week.
UPS also recently signed a partnering agreement with Yangtze River Express Airlines Ltd., a domestic air cargo service provider, to improve its reach within China, said Ms. Treacy-Lenda.
Additional service projects are planned in 13 UPS markets around the world, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
Service initiatives include renovating a facility for autistic children, construction of an animal shelter, tree planting, coordination of a blood drive and food bank collections.
UPS’ project in China is an extension of an earlier community activity, which centered on building a school in Hebei Province.
Visit www.community.ups.com for additional information.