UPS United Parcel Service

UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced that 100 elite drivers from Illinois are among 1,613 newly inducted worldwide into the Circle of Honor, an honorary organization for UPS drivers who have achieved 25 or more years of accident-free driving.  

Illinois boasts 456 active Circle of Honor drivers with a combined 12,969 years of accident-free driving. Ralph Lendi of Tinley Park is the state’s senior-most safe driver, with 45 years of accident-free driving under his belt. There are 5,254 total UPS drivers in Illinois.  

Globally, 8,703 active UPS drivers are members of the Circle of Honor. Collectively they’ve racked up more than 245,000 years and more than 5.3 billion safe miles during their careers. That’s enough miles to travel to Mars and back 19 times.

“My thanks go to all of them for their dedication and focus and for the countless lives they’ve saved,” said George Willis, president, UPS West Region. “Their attention to detail has kept them safe and has helped improve public safety.”

Globally, the most seasoned UPS Circle of Honor driver is Thomas Camp of Livonia, Mich., with 53 years of driving without an accident. Ronald McKnight of Bronx, N.Y., is next in line with 47 years of safe driving. Sixty-six others have logged at least 40 years without an accident.

UPS’s 102,000 drivers are among the safest on the roads, logging more than 3 billion miles a year and delivering more than 4 billion packages safely. 

Founded in 1907, UPS has a rich history of safety and training. The company issued its first driver handbook in 1917 and began recognizing safe drivers in 1923.  In 1928, UPS recognized its first five-year safe driver, Ray McCue, with UPS founder Jim Casey presenting him a gold and platinum watch.  UPS formally established its safe driving honor program in 1928.

** NOTE: The following table lists local drivers by hometown and UPS center. If you’re interested in interviewing a local driver, please contact UPS Public Relations at pr@ups.com. Visit pressroom.ups.com for multimedia assets.

Following is a list of Illinois drivers inducted this year to the Circle of Honor.

DRIVER	HOMETOWN	UPS WORK LOCATION
Adolfson,  Richard	Franklin Park	Franklin Park
Allsopp,  Mark	Morris	Joliet
Anderson,  Steven	Western Springs	Hodgkins
Balding,  Perry	Olney	Olney
Balluff,  Thomas	Prospect Heights	Palatine
Barnes,  Joseph	Oak Brook	Westmont
Baumgard,  Kent	New Lenox	Joliet
Begoun,  Richard	Glenview	Northbrook
Bolotnik,  Sandy	Waukegan	Northbrook
Boniecki,  Brian	Darien	Hodgkins
Bradley,  Ronnie	Chicago	Hodgkins
Branney,  Timothy	Rockford	Rockford
Brauer,  Jeffrey	Minooka	Joliet
Burns,  Timothy	Hoffman Estates	Northbrook
Carney,  Willie	Homewood	Hodgkins
Chambers Jr,  Clyde	Lansing	Chicago
Cobb,  Stanley	Homewood	Hodgkins
Condon,  John	Tinley Park	Chicago
D'agostin,  Mike	Rockford	Rockford
Durbin,  Dennis	Decatur	Decatur
Earnest,  Lacey	Lombard	Addison
Elliott,  James	South Beloit	Rockford
Felton,  Gerald	Rockford	Addison
Feltz,  David	Elmhurst	Hodgkins
Fierros,  Mario	Lakewood	Palatine
Fogel,  Allen	Cary	Palatine
Foxworth III  Matthew	Matteson	Hodgkins
Fritz,  Glenn	Streamwood	Palatine
Garza,  Ricardo	Bartlett	Palatine
Gavard,  Keith	Villa Park	Addison
Geaschel,  James	Rockford	Rockford
Gedwill,  William	Shorewood	Chicago
Gertner,  Thomas	Northbrook	Hodgkins
Goorley,  Mark	Glen Ellyn	Addison
Gow,  James	DeKalb	DeKalb
Hogan,  John	Chicago	Addison
Hunt,  Wayne	Hillside	Hodgkins
Hunter,  Douglas	Metamora	Peoria
Johnson,  Michael	Darien	Chicago
Johnson,  Steven	DeKalb	DeKalb
Kapala,  Andrew	Burbank	Hodgkins
Karavos,  Theodore	Cary	Palatine
Kay,  James	Crystal Lake	Hodgkins
Keller,  Michael	Olney	Olney
Kimmey,  Robert	Oak Lawn	Hodgkins
Klaczynski,  Raymond	Tinley Park	Hodgkins
Koziel,  Christopher	Plainfield	Franklin Park
Kruppa,  Linda	Des Plaines	Northbrook
Kuchan,  Kevin	Orland Park	Hodgkins
Kunhart,  Dennis	Justice	Hodgkins
Kwak,  Raymond	Crestwood	Bedford Park
Leible,  Mark	Hillsboro	Alton
Lewis,  Michael	Lake In The Hills	Palatine
Little,  Cedric	DeKalb	Rockford
Mangrum,  Clarence	Markham	Hodgkins
Markezich,  James	Highland	Alton
Miehlke,  Paul	Lake Zurich	Palatine
Mireles Jr,  Alfonso	Plainfield	Bedford Park
Moran,  Robert	Decatur	Decatur
Moreno,  Sergio	Chicago	Chicago
Munoz,  George	Midlothian	Hodgkins
Obrachta,  Keith	Island Lake	Palatine
Oconnor,  William	Chicago	Franklin Park
Oneill,  James	Wooddale	Chicago
Palmisano,  Joseph	Naperville	Addison
Panagopoulos,  Bill	Orland Park	Franklin Park
Paulson,  Kari	Lombard	Hodgkins
Peterson,  Ralph	Wheaton	Addison
Pierce,  Charles	Dennison	Indianapolis
Placko,  Scott	Cary	Palatine
Raff,  William	Glen Ellyn	Addison
Ramos,  Martin	Chicago	Hodgkins
Repa,  Richard	Chicago	Chicago
Runkel,  Cary	Roscoe	Rockford
Schnabel,  David	Paw Paw	Hodgkins
Schwetz,  James	Carol Stream	Franklin Park
Shanks,  Randy	Shelbyville	Bloomington
Shaughnessy,  Daniel	Oak Lawn	Hodgkins
Smiley,  Jim	South Elgin	Addison
Staats,  Walter	DeKalb	DeKalb
Stark,  James	Alsip	Bedford Park
Stewart,  Mark	Bartonville	Peoria
Stogin,  Michael	Orland Park	Hodgkins
Swanson,  David	Villa Park	Addison
Talley,  James	Palos Park	Hodgkins
Tyler Jr.,  Eddie	Chicago	Chicago
Uher,  Bryan	Lockport	Hodgkins
Uram,  Brad	Homer Glen	Hodgkins
Volkert,  Michael	Aurora	Franklin Park
Walker Sr.,  Carl	Calumet City	Chicago
Walton,  Kendall	Plainfield	Addison
Ward,  Anthony	Glen Ellyn	Hodgkins
White,  Keith	McHenry	Palatine
Wiegand,  Philip	Quincy	Palmyra
Wilken,  Steve	Palatine	Palatine
Wnek,  Joseph	Orland Park	Hodgkins
Wohlwend,  John	Leroy	Decatur
Wrobel,  Robert	Lombard	Addison
Zalnerunas,  Paul	Addison	Addison
Zupancic,  Paul	Marseilles	Joliet

 

Contact: UPS Public Relations
pr@ups.com