Always in Motion:

GLN 2014: New Partnerships, Stronger Alliances

Published On: November 3rd, 2014

We’re back from our annual trip to Thailand, bringing new friends, renewed partnerships and many stories. Attending the Global Logistics Network (GLN) Conference is always one of the year’s highlights for us.

This year was no exception.

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The GTM booth at the GLN Conference

As a global freight forwarder / NVOCC, we spent four days visiting, conversing, planning and strategizing. We also identified the freight forwarding companies within GLN that will provide our global customers with the best service and pricing available in the market.

For this year’s conference, our focus was two-fold. We wanted to develop relationships with our BRIC country partners. We also hoped to cultivate stronger alliances with our fellow GLN members from around the world.

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GLN Conference attendees

Forming deep international alliances with our logistics partners is essential to GTM’s success.

Among Chinese logistics firms, GTM is close to five-year partner BSI (Best Services International). BSI has 14 offices throughout China, including all ocean port cities and all major international airports. With more than 400 employees and $250 million in annual revenue, BSI is one of GTM’s stronger international partners.

The annual revenues of the GTM-BSI alliance already exceed $10 million.

BSI supports all of GTM’s international services, including warehousing, trucking, air freight, ocean freight, customs brokerage and project cargo handling.

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Robert Gruschow (GTM), Emmett Zheng (BSI), Wilson Wong (BSI) and Mark Brodie (GTM)

We are continuing to grow and expand our partnership with BSI.

In Thailand, we visited with our top European agents:

  1. Interfracht (Germany)
  2. Fioravanti Logistics Solutions (Italy)
  3. Ewals Cargo Care (Belgium)
  4. PSL Freight (England)
  5. TFS International (France)

In GTM’s meetings with these partners, we developed a strategy to cover all door to door cargo movements from Europe to the USA and USA to Europe.

We already support our European agents with excellent automotive part movements.  

Because of our face-to-face meetings, we expect these relationships to grow, improve and prosper.  In fact, we are already working on a specialized service for shipping yachts (75 foot and above) from Italy to anywhere in the USA.

We also visited with our top agents from India.

  1. Bluebird Logistics (New Delhi)
  2. Sevenseas (Bangalore)
  3. Seven Ocean Logistics
  4. Aspinwall, Logistics Division

India is a very important market for the U.S., GTM in particular. It offers very similar market capacity to China. We need to stimulate sales and business opportunities between our two countries.

GTM has selected these four companies to help us promote GTM within the India market.

We’re excited that these partnerships are already bearing fruit. We are currently working with Bluebird Logistics to serve one of our top retail accounts. With Bluebird, we plan to source goods from various top rated manufacturers in India.

GTM’s executive management also met with valued South American partners.

  1. Serpa Group (Brazil)
  2. Aduanera Galapagos C.A. (Venezuela)

We met with these two companies to discuss two of GTM’s key businesses, including exportation of kidney dialysis solutions to Brazil and Venezuela.

We were delighted to cement these two companies as GTM’s exclusive agents for Brazil and Venezuela.

Further, we were very happy with the executive management of both companies. GTM management believes we can create and drive high sales revenues with these two partners.

Every year, GTM’s superior reputation further solidifies.

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GTM was a Gold Sponsor of the GLN Conference and also sponsored the Tea/Coffee Break

This year’s GLN Conference was a complete success. Our presence grows stronger every year. We are gaining the complete trust of our worldwide agents. With trust comes business.

GTM’s international partners are putting more and more business opportunities on the table for us.

They are confident in our track record. They know our experienced staff will ensure their customers receive the excellent service they are representing.

We also made time to explore the city and share informal time with our partners.

We split up GTM executives and participated in several fun events with many of our current supporting agents.

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Robert Gruschow and Lisa Lunsford (with Interfracht and O’Brien Customs colleagues) visiting the Golden Buddha during Bangkok bicycle tour

Robert Gruschow and Lisa Lunsford took on a three-hour bicycle tour of the back streets and historical sites of Bangkok. They joined agents from Interfracht (Germany) and O’Brien Customs and Freight Forwarding (Australia), both major GTM supporters.

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Mark Brodie golfing in Thailand

Mark Brodie participated in the outdoor golfing event with various GLN members.

We packed a lot into a few days.

The GLN Conference is an excellent event, bringing old friends and new acquaintances together under one roof. Building partnerships with the world makes international business easier and more productive for all of us.