The Brown Board Owners Association, Inc. is an entity created to strengthen our businesses and to provide support and representation for our fellow owners. It is the intent of the Brown Board Owners Association, Inc. to represent owners in a professional manner by working directly with our Franchisor to strengthen our brand awareness, grow our investments, and maximize our profits.

While we recognize our corporate representation through the FAC Committee, we also recognize the value of an association of owners, independent of MBE and UPS. Our collective experience provides us a wealth of knowledge. Together, we have a greater ability to address issues important to our business and affect the overall value and continued viability of our investments.

The package handlers and loaders, as well as the pilots have joined together as a group to better represent their interests. As a collective group, we, The UPS Store owners, by choosing to form an association, have the leverage to make sure our issues and concerns are heard and addressed.

Although profitability is a major concern, the scope of our association is not limited. As a collective body, we can address marketing needs, vendor resources, product and profit center development, and the overall growth of our industry.

It is up to us, the owners, to protect our investments. Individually we are limited, collectively we control the future direction of our business, and our ability to realize a return on our investments.

March 2005

Email from arsbin@hotmail.com. The now infamous email was sent by Larry Bowdoin and Keith Ogren, two concerned store owners who alerted many of us to the actual condition of our network and encouraged fellow storeowners to respond. Approximately 100 store owners responded to their email.

March 29, 2005 – The Brown Board (thebrownboard.com) was founded, designed, and created by Gary Zhou and Aaron Fray in Newark, Delaware. Our original board was implemented as a forum for store owners to share ideas and concerns in an organized manner.

• April – 942 members joined.
• May – By the end of May, a total of 1,172 members joined.
• June – By the end of June, 1,290 members had joined.
• July – By the end of July, a total of 1,390 members had joined.

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April 2005

April 29-30, 2005 – Meeting held in Las Vegas to discuss forming an independent association of The UPS Store owners. Approximately 30 store owners attended the meeting in Las Vegas. At the meeting, our current association was planned and a board of directors was elected.

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May 2005

May 2, 2005 – Articles of Incorporation filed in the State of California by Bob Appert, General Counsel for The Brown Board Owner’s Association, Inc.

Conference calls held weekly to create committees, elect officers, create a strategic vision, and formulate strategies for recruiting, fundraising, and communication with UPS and MBE. Officers elected were: Larry Bowdoin, President; Bob Appert, Secretary; and Barry Barnes, Financial Officer. Mike Rodriguez was appointed Chairman to oversee our association’s general direction and coordination. Committees created included: legal, financial, recruiting, executive, technology, and communications.

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June 2005

The Brown Board’s website was redesigned and launched by Gary Zhou to allow for processing online membership applications and advanced communication solutions. Those applications that had been faxed are inputted by hand into the system by Deanne Baggett and Sandra Philhower.

July 15-17, 2005 – The Brown Board held a strategy conference for its Board of Directors and Town Hall Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. Approximately 30 members made the trip to Atlanta to see a financial presentation by Mike Koch and Barry Barnes. At the strategy conference, a short-term and long-term plan were created and approved by the Board to be submitted to UPS’ CEO, Mike Eskew.

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