VOICES FROM THE LOGISTICS AND MARITIME SECTOR
What was the main motivation to start the company in Panama?
Panama is the perfect destination to promote the logistics business, especially for a big player. The challenge was where to be, because for years Colombia was the place where our competitors were. I wanted to deliver similar services in Panama. We made a significant investment with three warehouses covering 18,000sqm servicing global and local customers. We aim to help small companies become bigger and big companies to become even bigger. We are the only 3PL in Panama offering not only warehousing and distribution services but also market registration, planning, launch excellence, market access, and all the financial back office structure in terms of pricing and transfer pricing. This is possible because I have the knowledge and the experience. We aim to be our clients' operations department, which is why we pursue, advise, and try to be there at all times to listen, pay attention, and always be one step ahead.
How would you describe Panama's importance in the DHL express portfolio worldwide compared to the rest of the region?
If we bring together our entire logistics infrastructure in the different segments, we are second to none. Our geographical position plays an important role, which is the reason why our main DHL Latin American aviation hub is based here. We have three main international global hubs—Leipzig, Hong Kong, and Cincinnati—and they connect to Panama, and from here we connect to the rest of Latin America. Panama also has the canal, which was recently expanded, hub, and many free trade zones. In addition, there are multiple transportation options via the Pacific or the Atlantic; depending on the goods one needs, they can have them transferred to the ports by train. After all the logistics, items can be repacked and distributed to their final destinations. I usually refer to DHL as the barometer of the business environment. When our customers are growing, we grow, and we can truly relate to economic growth or decline. We have had extremely successful years, although in the past three years the economy has been slow, even though Panama shows perhaps the best economic growth in terms of GDP.
What is the importance of TLA Logistics within the portfolio of Grupo Pasqui?
TLA is the biggest company of the group, and is also one of the newest. It is the merger of three older brands in order to provide an integrated portfolio of services. We developed an entire supply chain solution including customs brokerage, ocean freight import and export, air freight import and export, local distribution, and warehousing. Warehousing was our core business at the beginning of the company and remains our key to positioning ourselves in the Central American market, but now we offer a complete and integrated solutions for logistics services towards our customers. It is the second-largest operation for Grupo TLA. The Panama station has done fairly well; from 2014 to date, we have doubled our company's size almost every year. Panama is a key country in our structure because of its geographical location and how well prepared this trade area is and also the facilities that we have here.
What were the main highlights for 2018?
It was a year of innovation and building structures to enable a better economy going forward. Our main income comes from handling Panamanian imports. We import goods, pay duties, and deliver goods to stores. Lower sales have been symptomatic of the wider economic situation. We have opened a sister company that delivers bonded cargo such as liquors, cigars, fruits, and vegetables to all container ships and cruise ships that arrive in our country. We have also developed the company FCI Box, a spin-off of FCI Logistics, which focuses on moving courier and packages. This is our new baby company that imports small packages from Miami and the US to the customer's door in Panama. For many years, we were focused on multinational companies looking to use Panama as a springboard for regional distribution. More recently, countries like China have shown interest in Panama, and we also have a relationship with Taiwan.
What have been the main achievements of the company throughout its history?
Blu Logistics was created in Bogotá, Colombia, at the beginning of the 1990s. The operations were initially started under the name of SICE Colombia, then changed to Bluecargo Group until it was consolidated under the name of Blu Logistics. Blu Logistics Panama was born from the relationship that had over the company Supreme Overseas Corp. With Blu Logistics Colombia, its formalized the creation of Blu logistics Panama with the purchase of the shares of Supreme in 2013, making the company take an accelerated turn of business opportunities that was not previously presented, closing businesses in the 3PL segment in the Colón Free Zone and Panama City. We cover 11 countries through 39 offices. In relation to the expansion, Blu Logistics was born in Colombia and, as a result, it takes the decision to open offices in those countries where there are relevant commercial exchanges that require the opening of its own presence and that is where its expansion plans are born. Therefore, our plan is to continue looking for potential partners in those markets that wish to participate in our network.
VOICES FROM THE LOGISTICS AND MARITIME SECTOR
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Spotlight Feature
Success in Sight
ith the election of the new government, Panama's recovery has begun, and the general consensus is that the country is ready to grow to new heights. The new policies, initiatives, and projects being undertaken across the country, in addition to growing FDI levels, have all proven to be extremely encouraging, and businesses across sectors have much reason to be positive and contribute to the country's economic rebirth.
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