KELLY TO RETIRE FROM UPS, ESKEW WILL TAKE OVER

KELLY TO RETIRE FROM UPS, ESKEW WILL TAKE OVER    UPS chairman and chief executive officer, James P. Kelly, said he will retire in January. Michael L. Eskew, vice chairman and executive vice president, will succeed Kelly, who started his career with UPS as a delivery driver in 1964.
   During Kelly's tenure as chairman, UPS has expanded beyond its initial service offerings to become a “global supply chain management” service. UPS's revenue climbed from $22.4 billion the year before Kelly's appointment to chairman, to $29.8 billion in 2000, a 33-percent increase. Net income rose 155 percent over the same period to $2.93 billion.
   Eskew has been responsible for strategic planning, information services, corporate development, mergers and acquisitions and UPS Logistics Group. Most recently, Eskew has been involved in UPS's expansion into forwarding and logistics, through acquisitions such as Fritz Cos., UNI-DATA, Burnham Service Parts, Livingston Inc., Sinon Sosecom, Poly Sys and Comlasa.
   He has been with UPS since 1972 and has served on the board of directors since 1988.
   In 1988, Kelly was elected senior vice president and appointed as the company's labor relations manager. After joining the board of directors in 1991, he became chief operating officer in 1992. Later, Kelly served as executive vice president and vice chairman before assuming the role of chairman and CEO in 1997.
   “Jim Kelly leaves UPS well-positioned for future success,” said Eskew. “He has taught all of us the importance of keeping one eye on the horizon while the other stays focused on the steering wheel.”