UPS To Acquire MAIL BOXES ETC

UPS and MAIL BOXES ETC. have jointly announced that UPS has agreed to acquire MBE. MBE is a subsidiary of US Office Products, franchisor of independently owned and operated business, communication and shipping centers worldwide.

The transaction will allow UPS and MBE to develop new opportunities in such areas as small business services, e-commerce and financial services, and to strengthen UPS’s links to a growing segment of retail customers, such as Internet consumers, SOHO (small office/home office) owners and an increasingly mobile, technology-connected society.

The transaction is structured as an acquisition of the assets of MBE. The parties expect to close as soon as practicable.