UPS STRIKE TESTS LIMITS OF COMPANIES; AREA BUSINESSES SCRAMBLE TO FIND SHIPPING ALTERNATIVES.

Byline: Douglas Clark Daily News Staff Writer

Local manufacturers were hit Monday by a double whammy as the United Parcel Service strike left them struggling to get manufacturing materials to their plants and finished products to market.

Pat Corcoran, shipping supervisor for Eltron International Inc. in Simi Valley, said the strike by 185,000 Teamsters had idled workers who manufacture bar-code technology and accessories.

``It's hurting us right now because we have parts in limbo,'' Corcoran said. ``Right now everything is at a halt.''

On a typical day, Eltron uses UPS to ship about 400 packages, and receives 250 deliveries from the familiar brown trucks.

Eltron is joining other Ventura County businesses in switching to alternative carriers, such as Federal Express, DHL, and Golden State Overnight. But facing a huge bump in business, those delivery services are making few promises to new customers.

``FedEx isn't guaranteeing anything,'' Corcoran said. ``You can't expect them to take that extra load overnight.''

George Magdaleno, shipping supervisor for Kavlico Corp., in Moorpark, spent much of Monday planning strategy with customers about deliveries of auto and aerospace parts. Because the customer pays delivery costs, they get to decide which rates they want to pay.

``They won't get the discounts UPS gave them,'' he said. ``I hope it'll end in a couple days.''

The length of the walkout is the chief question facing Jafra Cosmetics Inc. in Agoura Hills. Spokesman Stephen Brayton said there was ``some impact and we're seeing what we can do for alternatives.''

``The big question is, how long will it last?'' he said.

Only biotech giant Amgen of Newbury Park seemed prepared for the long-term consequences of the strike.

David Kaye, associate director, said Amgen began negotiating with alternative carriers nearly a month ago, when a Teamsters strike seemed likely.

``We don't anticipate any delays,'' he said.

Ironically, Amgen's national distribution center was built in Louisville, Kentucky, so it could be close to the UPS air service hub, where more than 7,000 vials of perishable liquid medicines are shipped each week. Only raw bulk materials are shipped from the Ventura County site, Kaye said.

Meanwhile, the Simi Valley Post Office was overwhelmed with customers who opted to send their parcels via U.S. mail, said Russ Adams, postmaster.``So far we've had no problems. Everyone has been cooperative,'' he said.

However, to avert an overwhelming crush of business, the U.S. Postal Service has set some emergency guidelines. It is limiting the number of parcels to four per customer. Businesses or individuals with five or more parcels must make an appointment at specific locations. Call [phone] for information.