Big Brown: The Untold Story of UPS

by Greg Niemann

Although its brown vans are on every block and its delivery service reaches more than 200 countries, UPS is among the world’s most underestimated and misunderstood companies. For the first time, a UPS “lifer” tells the behind-the-scenes story of how a small messenger service became a business giant. Big Brown reveals the remarkable 100-year history of UPS and the life of its founder Jim Casey―one of the greatest unknown capitalists of the twentieth century. Casey pursued a Spartan business philosophy that emphasized military discipline, drab uniforms, and reliability over flash―a model that is still reflected in UPS culture today. Big Brown examines all the seeming paradoxes about from its traditional management style and strict policies coupled with high employee loyalty and strong labor relations; from its historical “anti-marketing” bias (why brown?) to its sterling brand loyalty and reputation for quality.

Genres: Business, History, Nonfiction, Biography

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Kelli Randell · Rating 2 out of 5]

The history of UPS, written and sponsored by UPS. The author clearly did a lot of research and gives a thorough overview of the remarkable endeavor that began with a poor first generation Irish boy. However, seems to gloss over (or perhaps put rose colored glasses over) UPS’s more controversial points.

[Larry Hostetler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This panegyric was interesting and readable, but when even the unavoidable negatives in any organization are presented as being positives it detracts value.

I would have much preferred a more honest recounting of brown’s history and development. But the book was well organized, well written, and broad in its scope.

There is undoubtedly much to replicate from reading about the history and the development of UPS, but I came away with but two ideas beyond the very general. By the end it seemed the book must be a product of the PR department primarily aimed at building organizational pride and support rather than a scholarly history of a wonderful corporation. As a result I wondered whether UPS is more cult than company. You won’t get an answer from this book.

[Jake Conway · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book my any means, but it does kind of glamorize the founder over sharing real information about UPS. There are only so many ways to say "the founder was a great person that listened to employees". I was hoping for more about how the modern UPS functions instead of a focus on the beginning years.

And not by any fault of the author, the book is now outdated since it doesn't really have much about the rise of e-commerce. It was published in 2007 so I get it, but at the same time I was hoping to learn more about the current company.

All of this said, I don't regret reading it.

[I R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview about UPS.

[Ice · Rating 4 out of 5]

"UPS founder Jim Casey did more than overcome humble beginnings to achieve the American Dream—he inspired all of his employees to come along for the ride. The continuous success of a company founded on a hundred dollars, determination, and integrity is a story of inspiration. Big Brown is a must-read for anyone who's ever held a job or had a dream."
—Paul Casey, nephew of UPS founder Jim Casey

"UPS began life in Seattle a century ago. Greg Niemann captures that moment—and the spirit of Seattle—perfectly."
—Mayor Greg Nickels, City of Seattle

"Big Brown offers a rare insider's glimpse into a corporate culture cloaked in secrecy. Learn how a corporation can get its drivers to hold their keys in a specific hand, on a specific finger, in a specific manner. Also learn how they attempt to use this obsessive attention to detail to conquer their industry."
—Steven J. Christensen, first vice president,Christensen Wealth Management Group, Wachovia Securities

"This well-written, solidly researched history details how one man's vision and the inexorable march of events led to the evolution of a Seattle messenger service into a worldwide icon. In Big Brown, Niemann successfully delivers the goods—just as UPS has been doing for 100 years."
—Norm Leaper, former president,International Association of Business Communicators

"As a career UPSer, I thought I knew almost everything about my company's history worth knowing . . . until I read Greg Niemann's book, Big Brown. Today's UPSers will not only appreciate the wealth of historical tidbits, as I did, but also gain a greater understanding about why the company holds to its own unique way of doing business. That perspective should also appeal to any student of business. Great work!"
—Steve Maxwell, retired UPS manager

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides a very close and insightful look at the development and current operations of UPS. The author is intimately acquainted with the company and uses that knowledge to give one of the best overviews of the company to date. From the early days with founder Jim Casey to the expansion of the air service all the way to current models. I was a little disappointed to not see more related to the advent of UPS stores but otherwise there is little I could imagine not covered here. One of the problems with the book is that the author gets caught up in the details and the chapters do not flow well together. It is hard to sometimes keep track of the topics since the author jumps around while not remaining chronological. Despite these organization issues this is still an invaluable book to understanding how UPS developed and a general look at some of the issues facing supply chain managers today. Very interesting read!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book - the economics geek in me is mostly to blame. Excellent explanation of how UPS grew through principles of decentralization and capitalizing on outsourcing in the context of core values set by the founder, Jim Casey. Written by a 30 year employee of UPS, it does have a bit of a "rose colored glasses" perspective but not terribly so. The only subject not addressed by the author in the explanation of why UPS has succeeded is that of pricing. He failed to mention how expensive shipping through UPS can be, especially on the individual to individual basis. I know from experience that it can cost an arm and a leg... to ship a snowboard from MS to CO cost $145! I suspect this is a result of UPS' present dedication to business shipping and global supply chain offerings instead of to the individual customer, as was the company's original focus, though I could be wrong.

Overall, I have a greater appreciation and understanding of UPS.

[Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book caught my eye as it sat on the "New Hardcovers" shelf at the local library - I guess I didn't realize that UPS had a previously untold story to tell.

I enjoyed the story-telling, and I'm glad that I chose it to occupy me during train rides on two days I had to attend a work-related seminar an hour away.

[EZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a very informative and well written. The author explains the history of UPS very well and goes into great detail explaining their expansion across the US and the globe. Good book but maybe to long winded for some.

[Lori Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A should-read autobiograpy on leadership for knowledge workers, managers, directors, C-levels, and entrepreneurs.