Founded in Seattle in 1907 by James E. Casey and Claude Ryan as the American Messenger Company, UPS grew from a small foot-and-bicycle delivery business into the world’s largest courier by revenue and one of the biggest private employers in the United States. It expanded through innovations such as consolidated delivery, mechanized package handling, air service, electronic tracking, and a vast logistics network anchored by UPS Airlines and the Worldport hub in Louisville. The company broadened into retail, freight, and supply-chain services, became public in 1999, and despite labor disputes, accidents, and later restructurings, remained a central force in global parcel delivery.