Michael Eskew, Chairman and CEO of UPS

This is a partial transcript from Your World with Neil Cavuto, March 25, 2003, that was edited for clarity. Click here for complete access to all of Neil Cavuto's CEO interviews.

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NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: Companies across the nation continue to adjust as workers are deployed to fight the war on terror. Shipping giant UPS has a thousand reservists called up to active duty as we speak. Joining me live on the phone is the company's chairman and CEO, Mike Eskew.

Mike, good to have you.

MICHAEL ESKEW, CHMN. & CEO, UPS: Neil, great to be with you on a special day for UPS.

CAVUTO: You are standing by these guys, a lot of companies after a while say, all right, we understand the patriotism, rah, rah, rah, but this is getting kind of long in the tooth. You are sticking with these guys.

ESKEW: Well, they are our people. They're the ones that have made us the company we are today. And we do. We make sure they pay is equalized.  And so any losses they have if they go to the military, we pay for them.  And we take care of their benefits. And we also stay in touch with their families, not only us, but their co-workers. We really try to create that family atmosphere when they are away. We have a thousand that are called up right now, and we have a total 5000 reservists. And they are UPSers.

CAVUTO: What would happen, Mike, if all 5000 had to be called like right now and conceivably for months?

ESKEW: Well, we would struggle without 5000 great people, but we would make it. Neil, we have been around for 96 years. And we've been through wars before and through tough times. And we would adjust. But we would take care of it when they came back. We would hold their jobs and get them in as soon as they got back.

CAVUTO: What do you think of those companies, Mike, though, that after a while they don't stick by that, and they might hold a job for a worker but the job they return to isn't the job he or she left, and for that matter, it might even be a lower-paying job or there might not be a job at all?

ESKEW: Well, great companies are built by great people. And we know that. And we are a company of 360,000 of the best people in the world.  And we are only as good as those folks. And so we know our future is tied to them. I think all good people, all good companies will react that same way.

CAVUTO: Mike, while I have you here, your business, and we just mentioned a consumer confidence survey that shows people are very skittish.  Is it being reflected in your business?

ESKEW: You know, Neil, we released our numbers in the fourth quarter. We reported that in January. And we said at that time that we really have not seen any rebound. We've not seen an awful lot of consumer confidence. And things were just flat. And that's what we reported at that time.

CAVUTO: So at least at this juncture it is not a matter of dramatically fewer packages being shipped, I mean, that is still a basic economic issue, not necessarily an Iraq issue?

ESKEW: Yeah. This war has just started. So it's really too soon to say what has happened here.

CAVUTO: But I imagine you are in the camp, Mike, that says a quicker war is a better war for business?

ESKEW: Yes. That's exactly right. The quicker this is over with the sooner we can get back to business and focus on the things that we need to do. And the whole economy is that same way.

CAVUTO: All right. Mike, thank you very much for joining us.

ESKEW: Neil, great to be with you.

CAVUTO: I appreciate it. Mike Eskew, the man who runs United Parcel Service.

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