[1] With start-up funds from his father, Edgar Uihlein, Richard and Elizabeth founded the company from their basement after recognizing a local need for a shipping supply distributor.

[4] In the 2000s, Uline began operations in Mexico and Canada and opened distribution centers in Illinois, Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

[5] The 200-acre headquarters opened in the summer of 2010, featuring offices for Uline staff and a 1-million square foot warehouse which supplies products to distribution centers.

[8] In 2019, Uline began considering a second major expansion with two more distribution centers with a combined area of over 1.7 million square feet.

[12] The company has a conservative dress code, with ties mandatory for men, pantyhose and skirts for women between November and April, and tattoos discouraged.

[1][14] In December 2024, The Guardian reported that Uline was bringing in workers from its Mexico warehouse to illegally work shifts in the United States in a program known by senior executives including Liz Uihlein.

The company is not believed to have a communications department, and maintains a low profile on social media.

[19] On March 13, 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Liz Uihlein wrote in an email to lawmakers that the severity of the virus was being exaggerated in the media: "At what point do we go back to our normal lives?

The company and the Uihleins pushed for a recall against Democratic Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, citing his response to the pandemic.