3.29.2006 ET

(CSRwire) ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 2006--For the seventh consecutive year, UPS (NYSE:UPS) has been named among "America's Top Corporations for Women Business Enterprises" (WBEs) by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

The annual list of honorees was released last week at a special ceremony in the Indian Treaty Room at the White House. The award is the only one of its kind honoring corporations for offering equal access to female-owned enterprises interested in competing for corporate contracts for goods and services.

The national honor lauds UPS's Supplier Diversity Program, which has worked for more than a decade to increase partnership and economic opportunities provided to women- and minority-owned businesses. In addition to developing strategic relationships with these businesses, UPS encourages its majority suppliers to support women- and minority-owned firms. UPS works with approximately 703 women-owned suppliers and spent more than $106.8 million with this group of suppliers in 2005.

"Just as UPS strives to employ a diverse workforce, we also seek diversity among our business partners," said Bill Moon, vice president of procurement services at UPS. "Women-owned businesses are a growing and important part of our supplier base and UPS is committed to providing business opportunities to women- and minority-owned firms as our own company continues to grow."

The UPS Supplier Diversity Program began in 1992 and grew national in scope in 1998 as UPS broadened its reach and desire to give opportunities to more individuals. What began in 16 major markets across the U.S. has grown in just a few years to cover nearly every community in the country. Today, more than 100 UPS managers in nine Regions and 59 Districts execute the program and UPS is continuing to expand its global reach.

To help expand the Supplier Diversity Program and build a stronger connection with minority firms, UPS has partnered with several organizations in addition to WBENC, including the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce and the Native American Business Alliance.

Companies interested in participating in the UPS Supplier Diversity Program can visit the Supplier Diversity section of the UPS Community Web site at www.community.ups.com. Information on how to join the program, including an online application, is available on the Web site.

UPS is the world's largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain services, offering an extensive range of options for synchronizing the flow of goods, information, and funds.

Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. UPS's stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange (UPS) and the company can be found on the Web at ups.com.

Copyright Business Wire 2006

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