Mill Creek resident takes over UPS franchise in Lakewood Ranch

Mill Creek’s Bob Wright said he loves owning a UPS franchise because something different happens every day.

But Bob, at UPS? Really?

Shipping, printing, notary services, mail boxes. How different can it be?

“One day we are shipping fine art to auction,” Wright said. “Then the next day were are shipping a dead dog for cryogenics in California.”

Now that’s different.

“We had a lady who decided she was going to move back to Alaska so she had us come over with boxes. She started dumping everything into that box, like pancake mix, stuff you leave behind. We shipped it,” Wright said.

“We’ve had people in here notarizing divorce papers, one on one side (of the store) and one on the other.”

Wright, who is a regional representative for franchising for UPS, just added to his interesting experiences by buying his second East County UPS franchise in January. He added the one at 1767 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. to his first business at 4654 E. State Road 64, Bradenton.

The location in the Publix shopping center complex has been open since 2001. 

“It wasn’t struggling,” Wright said. “But we are going to be offering things that weren’t offered before.”

Most of all, Wright said that will be better service.

“We don’t make a product,” Wright said. “So we have to provide great service.”

Wright’s wife, Tanile, owns the Maid in the Shade cleaning service, so they both have their hands full.

Bob Wright didn’t expect to be a business owner. He was happy as a golf pro in Clearwater when he was asked, while he was on the course, if he wanted to own a UPS franchise. It wasn’t long before he bought his first one in Bradenton.

Bob and Tanile Wright are avid tennis players and members at the River Strand Tennis Club. Bob’s son, Robert, was a football player at Lakewood Ranch High who graduated in 2007. His daughter, Aubrey, graduated from Braden River in 2017 and is a Florida Gulf Coast student. Bob and Tanile have a 1-year-old daughter, Lia.

He said owning two UPS franchises in East County will allow him to share staffs. 

So why does he believe his new location will thrive?

“Because I will put good people in here, will pay them fairly, and I will run a full staff (of six employees),” he said.