Interview with CEO Devin Burke & Charles Freeman, Enterprise Growth Concerning the New UC Air Freight Division
With Common Cargo launching a brand new air freight division, I caught up with CEO Devin Burke and Charles Freeman, Enterprise Growth, who’s heading up the division to seek out out extra. They graciously agreed to fast interviews. Take a look at the under Q&As to seek out out about what Common Cargo is doing to serve its clients even higher and somewhat bit about how these professionals reached their respective positions.
Q&A with CEO Devin Burke
Q: You’ve been within the freight forwarding enterprise for over 35 years now. It’s a fairly cool success story the way you turned proprietor and CEO of Common Cargo. Would you share that with our weblog readers?
A: I labored for UCM [Universal Cargo Management] first in 1991 after 6 years within the trade. I used to be the gross sales director and head of enterprise growth and constructed up our Asian community in addition to elevated income by 4 instances in 9 years. Firstly of 2000 I purchased the corporate from the unique proprietor. For the previous 21 years we have now grown by at the least 6 to 7 instances with 3 places of work within the US.
Q: Why now to launch a brand new air freight division at Common Cargo?
A: For the previous 21 years, we have now been primarily targeted on a distinct segment market of House Items importers from Asia door to door service by way of ocean freight. Though this enterprise has confirmed profitable in the course of the Pandemic, we really feel that may solely final as long as the Market is continually altering and evolving. Air, export, and home freight is one thing that got here to us as gravy enterprise, however it’s a enormous market we have now all the time ignored. It’s excessive time to develop into absolutely vested.
Q: Common Cargo has lengthy delivered air freight providers. How will the brand new air freight division differ from earlier providers like Express4Air?
A: As I discussed above, this air enterprise UCM dealt with prior to now was minimal and we might solely co-load with air forwarders, giving us a drawback within the market. By turning into an IATA [International Air Transport Association] licensed air forwarder we will play with the massive boys.
Q: Do you see an inflow in air freight over ocean transport with the skyrocketed ocean freight charges?
A: Sure. Though the general freight enterprise has lifted all boats (actually) with the rising tide, the distinction within the air and ocean hole has shrunk. So not solely is air a viable choice costwise, while you think about 2-3 month common delays in ocean, air is a should.
Q: What has you most enthusiastic about Common Cargo’s new air freight division?
A: It opens us as much as a number of new markets in addition to the House Items market, which usually avoids Air as a result of dimension of those items (Furnishings, and many others). We’re trying ahead to increasing our buyer base for not solely air however dealing with these similar air clients’ ocean, trucking, and many others.
Q&A with Charles Freeman, Enterprise Growth
Q: Thanks for taking the time to reply questions on Common Cargo’s new air freight division and congratulations on heading it up. Would you give our weblog readers some background on your self to allow them to get to know you somewhat bit?
A: My background is complicated. I began out in air freight in 1995 with DHL Worldwide Specific, first as a courier after which operations particular person, the place I discovered the ins and outs of the air freight enterprise on the small bundle facet. I finally moved as much as an outdoor gross sales consultant protecting the Miami/Fort Lauderdale space. After that I moved onto Swiss Air Cargo the place I labored for a yr doing the extra heavyweight air facet of the enterprise. I used to be finally recruited by Northwest Airways Cargo the place my job entailed protecting Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Japanese Tennessee, and Southern Mississippi. That is the place my heavy weight air freight information got here collectively.
I used to be fortunate to have an ideal director who noticed the potential in me and mentored me. I bought Toyota Motor Company, Common Electrical, and Proctor & Gamble accounts. I used to be touring to Japan each three months to go to purchasers within the Japanese market as properly. Within the eight years I used to be with Toyota, I visited Japan 14 instances. Nice expertise. In 2005, Northwest went into chapter 11, I used to be provided a buyout, and I took it, as my division was going to be streamlined and partially eradicated.
I then went into trucking and began my very own trucking brokerage agency. I discovered a distinct segment market of chubby, refrigerated container of poultry, beef, pork, and seafood. After 10 years, I left the logistics trade to pursue a childhood dream to fly for an airline as a pilot. I ended up promoting my enterprise and have become first a flight teacher to construct up flight time after which I moved on to a Division of Protection contractor the place I flew a Jetstream 31/32 as a pilot. I used to be flying a 19-seat turbo prop into Naval Bases in Guantanamo Bay; Cuba; and Recent Creek Andros Island, Bahamas. After that, I had the required flight time to get to a Regional Airline the place I ended up at a United Specific provider out of Los Angeles the place I needed to switch from Miami, Florida to Los Angeles, California. I used to be furloughed in from United Specific in April 2020 when my firm misplaced their contract with United.
Q: Give us a rundown of what this new air freight division seems like?
A: Our air freight division has a mixed 50 years of expertise. I’m heading this operation up with my 20 plus years of expertise. I’ve Keefe Kirkevold, who brings a few years of air freight expertise to our crew. Keefe can route freight with the very best of them and his can-do perspective together with his enormous smile makes issues go. We have now Catherine Sanchez, who has a few years of air freight expertise as properly. She is devoted, targeted, and pushed to fulfill the ever altering clients’ wants. She will not be solely our operations supervisor, she is a visionary; she’s on the heart beat of the trade.
Q: What’s the most important distinction between providing air freight providers, as Common Cargo has prior to now, and launching this air freight division?
A: The massive distinction with the air freight choices Common Cargo had prior to now and what we’re launching is evening and day. Prior to now, Common Cargo was brokering air freight with a 3rd get together operator. This added charges and saved us on the mercy of this third get together logistics agency or companies we have been coping with. Our new division gives direct providers by all main US Passenger Airways in addition to Worldwide airways. Our certification by the TSA and shortly IATA will grant us the power to maneuver our clients freight on a passenger airline, thereby providing aggressive charges.
Q: Will clients who’ve shipped by air by Common Cargo discover an enormous distinction?
A: Sure they may. We won’t solely supply the good Common Cargo service, we may also supply air freight service that shall be alongside these traces with aggressive charges with a longtime community that may present this.
What provides Common Cargo a aggressive edge relating to air freight?
A: Common Cargo’s aggressive edge is our nice workers. An organization is only a firm with out nice individuals, and we have now that on this division. We have now years of expertise, we have now charges, we have now a community, and we have now individuals. Keefe and Catherine are a bonus that our competitors don’t have. I imagine that is our benefit. It’s our individuals.
An organization is just nearly as good as its individuals, and I imagine we have now the very best!
What are you most enthusiastic about in heading up Common Cargo’s new air freight division?
A: What excites me most is so as to add a dimension to our service choices. After I was employed I used to be informed for years Common Cargo wished to start out an air freight division. I’m honored to be the one to place all of it along with our crew. Making a distinction and being entrusted to do it will get me excited and will get me away from bed within the morning.
