| 
 As
EMO Trans readies its 13th Annual Meeting, which begins this week in the
warmth of beautiful San Juan, Puerto Rico, company CEO Joachim “Jo”
Frigger reports that with a few days in a warmer climate his troops can
gather themselves, compare notes, land on the same page, and get fit for
what promises to be another banner year for the company.
“Last month old man winter had the
eastern and the midwestern USA firmly in his grip,” Mr. Frigger
said.
“Unusual amounts of snow and cold
temperatures forced airports, seaports, and office closings from Charleston,
SC, to Boston, MA.
“Our dedicated teams did, however,
keep working from home with the help of our IT system.
“In the end, very little time was
lost.
“Right now as March begins, we are
into one of those times when we are still trying to ascertain what the
signals will tell us for 2014.
“January was good; we matched our
results of the previous year, which is always a positive sign, and we
remain quite confident that 2014 will be a year of growth and expansion
for us.
As EMO Trans Global Network Meeting kicked
off Sunday March 14 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, members of the team
ready an accelerated schedule of enhanced IT, new offices in Belgium,
France and the Netherlands plus further expansion into China, Africa,
LATAM and Eastern Europe. (L to R)— Tom Harlin, Chief Financial
Officer and Vice President Finance; Sven Frigger, Director Export
Compliance; Karin Frigger; Jo Frigger, CEO; Jennifer Frigger-Latham
Vice President, Sales & Marketing and Marco Rohrer, President
EMO Trans USA. |
“February for example
was an unusually busy time as we set up our new European offices.
“This month, we will begin operations
in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Brussels.
“In addition to our existing Strasbourg
office, we go operational in Paris and Lyon.
“Our teams in those countries can’t
wait to hit the ground running.
“I’m happy to report that EMO
Trans has completed the first stage of our development across the Atlantic
with Warsaw & Gdynia, Poland, and Bucharest, Romania, soon to follow
as our growth plan continues.
“Globally, we continue to grow our
vertical markets for Aviation and Automobile spare parts as well as Cool
Chain.
“Additional personnel are being hired,
and departments for this traffic will be expanded and strengthened.
“Here at home in the USA, our offices
in Minneapolis and Raleigh are doing well, and Charleston, SC, shows strong
development.
“The resurrected Project Division
PLI under the leadership of Michael Horn in Chicago is advancing as planned
with some exciting prospects ahead.
“Now this week as EMO Trans begins
our 13th Annual Global Network meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with
participation of 150 guests representing more than 50 countries, the constant
growth of the network is a confirmation of our commitment to service and
integrity.
“The Global Network Meeting changes
locations each year, moving from the Americas to Europe, and it is vital
to the continued advancement of our offering.
“Last year for example we met in Lisbon,
Portugal.
“Job one at these gatherings is to
reinforce our commitment to achieving customer satisfaction.
“EMO Trans carries any type of cargo,
but we are not just commodity driven; we focus rather more on global markets
with our reliable network partners.
“Our yearly global network meetings
also provide us with the opportunity to strengthen relationships, make
new friends, and explore new opportunities.
“The service industry, despite all
the technical bells and whistles, is still a people business and companies
don't form relationships—people do.
“But it is not an easy ride in 2014,
as many in air cargo and other modes of transport have experienced major
challenges and changes in their business plan during the past several
down years.
“The major business challenges for
us are in pricing and space.
“The carriers sometimes still don't
understand the combined power of a global alliance like ours, and we are
gaining recognition by inviting a number of air and ocean carriers to
our events.
“Our size allows us to provide real
personalized service to all our customers as held up by our continued
growth even in markets that, for others, are heading downward.
“In terms of our global view on industry
issues, security compliance and other governmental and industry challenges
will need to be further addressed with an eye toward global solutions
and across the board cooperation between governments and industry, as
da been described at last week’s meetings at IATA WCS in Los Angeles.
“Our view is that true and continued
cooperation across the board will drive transportation services to real
growth in the future.
“Open dialogue with the goal of better
understanding and appreciation of each case as unique is a critical part
of what has worked for EMO Trans," Jo Frigger said.
Geoffrey
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