The first Mail Boxes Etc. store was opened in Carlsbad, California by Gerald Aul, Pat Senn and Robert Diaz, who designed it as an alternative to the U.S. Postal Service. In 2001, Mail Boxes Etc. became a subsidiary of UPS and began re-branding as The UPS Store in 2003. The UPS Store locations provide packaging, shipping, copy and print services, mailbox services, computer time rentals and more for small businesses and individuals. Franchises are located throughout the United States and in Canada.