CHICAGO, Feb. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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
