EMO Celebrates 50

     The present is time for celebration at EMO. A birthday cake is in order — a cake with 50 glowing candles to mark an ascent from a modest facility near Frankfurt’s Rhein Main Airport to an impressive base close to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
     The years in between have been a hardy adventure in the complexity of rampant competition, customer demands and targeted yields. But Frigger’s close personal attention to management and detail, deep concern about customer satisfaction on a global scale, and a spirited participant in industry affairs, have been a colorful if ardent, but carefully directed, substantial industry status.
     Over the decades, EMO has been built into a freight forwarding firm that offers a complete range of global shipping services, standard or individualized. They extend to warehousing, distribution, etc. The company’s market share is equally divided between air and ocean transport.
     Asked to comment on how he found cargo-handling conditions at the airport, Frigger’s instant response, spoken flatly and with obvious emphasis, was that “many airports need substantial improvements”. Without identifying airports under criticism, he underscored the vital importance of quick availability of freight arrivals. There have been instances where customs clearance procedures were not in full step with jet flight. He also took aim at procedure applicable to pickup-and-delivery motor vehicles. In regard to the latter, he remarked on his utter frustration watching long lines of trucks waiting to pick up their loads. Returning to a more conversational tone, EMO’s chief noted the disparity of cargo-handling standards at airports both here and abroad.
     The number of airports around the world that Frigger has come to know are virtually countless. Asked to estimate how many air miles he has logged in his career, he cheerfully stated: “Enough to be a lifetime member of many airline frequency flyer programs.” At any rate, asked which airports he considered the world’s best from a cargo-service standpoint, his choices were Frankfurt Airport and Singapore’s Changi Airport.
     A native of Opladen, Germany, Joachim Frigger’s high school education was broadened at a school of business, leading to an apprenticeship program in Cologne. He joined Haniel in that city in 1958. Four years later he began a decade-long association with Deugro, which brought him from Cologne and Düsseldorf IST-Hochschule to New York. It was here where Frigger took over the presidency of EMO Trans, an international freight forwarding operation with a market share divided 50-50 between air and ocean. Married to Karin, who also worked in the early New York EMO organization, and with a son and a daughter today serving in key EMO positions, the Frigger identity has been extended to a second generation: Jennifer is Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Sven is Vice President, Compliance. As the old saying goes, like father, like son (and daughter).
     With a long history of often bumpy relations between the airlines and forwarders in the back of his mind, Jo Frigger presented his interpretation of the current state of their relationship. Referring to Cargo Network Services, he said: “Under capable leadership, CNS provided a fairly open dialogue between airlines and freight forwarders. Now that CNS is totally dominated by IATA, the constructive exchange is basically gone. IATA obviously prefers this rather than expanding the CNS model to other countries. A lost opportunity for the entire industry.”

     Of course, change is in the air for all of the business of airborne shipping. To what extent has the nature of air freight forwarding undergone change?
     “Tremendous,” he declared, his voice rising. “Vast changes in terms of electronic tools. The system of e-freight is utilized to an important extent. Competition between forwarder and integrator is fierce. However, the integrator will never be able to provide the specialized service of an air freight forwarder. Apart from what I have said, there has been very little change in fundamental needs for customer service and relations.”
     Queried whether the availability of widebody cargo bellies reduced the need for all-cargo lift, his reply was a simple “No”.
     Customer complaints? Perish the thought of absolute serenity. Customers, Frigger reported, voice several levels of upset at the alleged result of lack of transparency in the airlines.
     A standard question in this series of interviews is whether price or service is the prime concern of the air shipper. Put to this question, Frigger said: “both” and preferred to leave it at that.
     EMO’s head again made short work of a question seeking his opinion of the current international air freight rate situation. “Complex and confusing,” he smiled.
     Confined to the freight forwarding sector of the air transportation business, does a position in management — sales, traffic, operations, etc. — does the employee’s responsibilities and often complex related activities convey the knowledge of a person deep in an authentic profession? Or is it simply “a better job.” At that level, Frigger said: “the task requires a professional, an individual loaded with expertise to handle the challenges. And with enthusiasm, I might add.”
     How far has the company gone to comply with cargo–security regulations? Jo Frigger swiftly conveyed an impression of high-priority imperative. Speaking in measured tone, he stated: “We have our own screening stations and work very closely with the TSA to secure all cargo we handle.” Cargo security, he added is an obligation “we embrace”, attuned to a conviction that air cargo business is a people business. Jo leans heavily on personal customer contact, underscoring reliance on “human ingenuity”, to cope with problems that seemingly endlessly arise in both cargo modes, distribution, warehousing and “all international transportation needs.”
     Ah! That Jo Frigger: “Open dialogue will improve mutual understanding and appreciation of each problem as unique. It applies to dealing with the airline, and it applies to dealing with the customer. It is what has worked for EMO Trans over the years”. By physical attitude, expressive gesture and word, EMO’s CEO asserted the centrality of customer satisfaction.
     “In line with the old but still worthy concept that cooperation is the basis of success, EMO has found that often the effort to meet customers’ special requirements will translate into a zone of creative muscle. It inevitably leads to greater efficiency in customer service—and satisfaction. As corporate mottoes go. EMO clings to one of its own: Success Is Performance.”
     That was indeed Jo Frigger in body and soul.
     Industry experience in post-deregulation years has produced a number of air freight forwarding executives who have claimed being pinched by the total absence of regulations.
     No, they are not opposed to deregulation, but they wish the Civil Aeronautics Board before it was dissolved in 1978 had left behind a regulation or two to keep the industry a bit more orderly. Did Frigger agree? “Not at all!” declared Jo, Jo being Jo.
      Readers familiar with this series of interviews are aware that the subject of an interview is usually asked to identify individuals who have exerted an impact on their career. In an uncommon response to the demand, Jo Frigger instantly said, “My parents.” Having succeeded in getting this tribute on the record, he named Gustav Grosskopf, his mentor during his years in Cologne and Duesseldorf. Then Frigger gave the question a little more consideration and added: “Many of my friends around the world.”
     Virtually every air cargo employee has at least one story to relate about an exciting or unusual event. Jo Frigger is no exception, but he chose to divide his four examples into operations and corporate-related markers: chasing lost air freight in Turkey (1964); supplying Red Cross aid to Palestinian refugees in Jordan (1968); EMO Trans’ opening in New York; and developing the firm into an authentic global organization.
     A request to share a suspicion of a possible lurking market or industry “danger” in the foreseeable future produced a tongue-in-cheek answer: “Only when planes stop flying.”
     On the topic of air cargo industry changes, Frigger was brought to full voice: “The basic responsibility in the industry for the freight forwarder is to move cargo from manufacturer to consumer by utilizing carriers, warehouses, and customs facilities.” What Changes?
     “In that regard, the responsibility of the freight forwarder has not changed much — not even the speed of the carriers. Airplanes and ships don’t move much faster than they did 40 years ago. What has changed is the speed of communication and customer demand for total transparency of the location of the cargo at each step of the logistics chain. What also has changed is the strong demand of customers for environmental sustainability. While this has been mastered by some of the service providers involved, there is still a lot of room for improvement.”
     Take A Bow. With EMO Trans USA at age 50, Jo Frigger always gave credit to “the loyalty and hard work of our employees.” For the existence of a global organization, “Jo Being Jo” Is most fondly remembered continuing on to say: “I’ve found that looking back however is less beneficial planning forward.”
     That was Jo, brothers and sisters . . .
Geoffrey