CHICAGO, Feb. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced that 79 elite drivers from Illinois are among 1,575 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 488 active Circle of Honor drivers with a combined 13,931 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 3,983 total full-time UPS drivers in Illinois.
Globally, 9,349 active UPS drivers are members of the Circle of Honor. Collectively they’ve racked up 266,554 years and nearly 14 billion safe miles during their careers. That’s enough miles to travel to the moon and back almost 29,000 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 54 years of driving without an accident. Ronald McKnight of Bronx, N.Y., is next in line with 48 years of safe driving. Ninety-one 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 nearly 5 billion packages annually.
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 pages list 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 |
| Austry, James | Woodridge | Franklin Park |
| Avila, Maricela | Berwyn | Addison |
| Barbeau, Richard | St. Charles | Palatine |
| Bartuch, Fred | Belvidere | Rockford |
| Betton, Leslie | Calumet City | Chicago |
| Bright, Bruce | Dundee | Palatine |
| Brown, Duane | Bloomington | Bloomington |
| Buellesbach, Bryan | McHenry | Palatine |
| Caputo, Robert | Wayne | Addison |
| Carnes, Kelvin | Knoxville | Galesburg |
| Catizone, John | Oak Lawn | Hodgkins |
| Delvecchio, Chris | Streamwood | Franklin Park |
| Distenfield, Robert | Libertyville | Palatine |
| Dressler, William | Cary | Palatine |
| Drust, Gary | Tinley Park | Hodgkins |
| Dunterman, Albert | Chicago Ridge | Hodgkins |
| Egan Lii, Joseph | Leroy | Bloomington |
| Eisele, Richard | Spring Grove | Oak Creek |
| Fields, Mark | Galesburg | Galesburg |
| File Jr, Donald | Waterloo | Belleville |
| Fischer, Mark | Goreville | Marion |
| Fleck, Clifford | Riverton | Decatur |
| French Jr, Lewis | Quincy | Quincy |
| Furlong, Robert | Centralia | Centralia |
| Galloway, Jeffrey | Newton | Olney |
| Garrington, Richard | Joliet | Hodgkins |
| Gedwill, William | Shorewood | Chicago |
| Gordon, William | Mattoon | Mattoon |
| Gugle, Jeffrey | Belvidere | Palatine |
| Gunther, Michael | Alsip | Hodgkins |
| Harper, Sharon | Oak Park | Palatine |
| Harvey, Bruce | Quincy | Quincy |
| Hayhurst, Lyle | Alsip | Hodgkins |
| Hoey, Jeffrey | Stillman Valley | Rockford |
| Jackson, Darrell | Centralia | Centralia |
| Jarvis, Scott | Dewey | Urbana |
| Kavaliunas, Walter | Romeoville | Bedford Park |
| Keller, Bruce | Glenview | Franklin Park |
| Koehler, James | Elk Grove | Northbrook |
| Linnemann, John | Mount Prospect | Northbrook |
| Loconsole, James | Lisle | Hodgkins |
| Long, Kent | West Chicago | Hodgkins |
| Loschetter, Brad | Mount Prospect | Franklin Park |
| Malone, Anthony | Crete | Hodgkins |
| Marsella Jr, Victor | Sleepy Hollow | Palatine |
| Martinez, Noe | Bartlett | Addison |
| Matson, David | Ashton | Dekalb |
| Mattmiller, David | Centralia | Centralia |
| McDermott, William | Wauconda | Palatine |
| Mitchell, Joseph | Plainfield | Addison |
| Morozink, Jeffrey | McHenry | Palatine |
| Munz, Michael | Milledgeville | Freeport |
| Murphy, Kevin | Beason | Bloomington |
| Murray, James | Carpentersville | Franklin Park |
| O'Connor, Brian | Justice | Hodgkins |
| Ortman, John | Palatine | Palatine |
| Outland, Carlton | Chicago | Hodgkins |
| Pascente, James | Johnsburg | Palatine |
| Pearson Jr, Lee | Richton Park | Hodgkins |
| Pettiford, Alonzo | Ofallon | St. Louis |
| Pyle,Starlus | Palatine | Palatine |
| Regalado, Jose | Bridgeview | Bedford Park |
| Schlau, Jeffrey | Hoffman | Centralia |
| Schnabel, David | Paw Paw | Hodgkins |
| Schurder Jr, James | Algonquin | Palatine |
| Sessler, Ronald | Lockport | Hodgkins |
| Sisk, Brian | Alton | Alton |
| Smith, Mike | Bloomingdale | Palatine |
| Square, Chedrick | South Holland | Chicago |
| St Aubin, Tracey | Kankakee | Hodgkins |
| Stevens, Craig | Homewood | Hodgkins |
| Sultanian, Armen | Chicago | Hodgkins |
| Towey, Brendan | Downers Grove | Hodgkins |
| Treadwell, Pamela | Chicago | Addison |
| Tyler Jr., Eddie | Chicago | Chicago |
| Ubersox, Todd | Rockford | Rockford |
| Wehmeyer, Jeff | Dekalb | Addison |
| Workman, Lori | South Elgin | Addison |
| Young, Terry | Chicago | Hodgkins |
| Zabinski, Joseph | Lake Villa | Northbrook |