WINGS
ISLAND TIME ON FAST FORWARD
Lynden enhances Puerto Rico ocean product
P
uerto Rico is retail heaven. The island is
be switched to air if the product needs to arrive
it boasts the Caribbean’s largest shopping
is moving quickly and store shelves are bare. Or
only 100 miles long and 35 miles wide, but
center, Plaza Las Americas. With 300 stores, the
mall is a major attraction for locals and a destination
stop for U.S. tourists and Caribbean residents. “At
any time of day, the mall is packed with no parking
“Customers only pay for the speed they need,”
Rico since 1977, and one of our fastest-growing
Puerto Rico. “The big retailers all have a strong
presence here and most of these stores are the
most profitable of all their U.S. locations.”
Keeping the shelves stocked at these retail
Lynden handles ocean and air shipments from U.S.
consolidation points and internationally to the island
while providing other tailor-made services to meet
retailers’ needs. One of those services is Dynamic
Routing, Lynden’s calling card in offshore markets.
Dynamic Routing allows customers to speed up
Vol. 20, Issue 1
transportation costs.
Cruz, Lynden International’s District Manager in
from an office and warehouse facility in Carolina,
Summer 2012
adjusted accordingly from air to ocean to save
Cruz says of the special service. We’ve been
just to shop in Puerto Rico,” explains Juancarlos
Lynden International’s Puerto Rico team. Working
for cargo professionals
if inventory is moving slowly, transit times may be
to spare. People fly in from all over the Caribbean
stores and providing support is a full-time job for
The resource magazine
the next day for a special rollout or if the product
or slow down the supply chain to match changing
bridging the gap between the mainland and Puerto
products is ocean less-than-container-load and
full-container-load (LCL/FCL) services.” Lynden has
always offered customers an ocean product, but it’s
now a more defined service, with a more consistent
schedule, faster transit times and a more competi-
tive price. Two new domestic ocean service center
points in Newark and Jacksonville were recently
added to the existing Nashville consolidation point.
Lynden also added a truck route twice a week from
Los Angeles to Nashville to catch the twice-weekly
sailing from Nashville to San Juan. “Most of our
competitors offer only one consolidation per week,”
explains Cruz.
Another enhancement is the online EZ Com-
inventory needs. Lynden’s unique ability to offer
merce “domestic ocean” option to move freight to a
flexibility to adjust transportation modes even if
had the ability to use the Domestic Bill of Lading for
ground, air and water transportation provides the
shipments are enroute. An ocean shipment might
domestic port in Puerto Rico or Hawaii. Lynden has
Continued on page 3
www.laf.lynden.com
Executive
Perspective
B
orders seem to be a common theme in
it means the most to customers. When we open a
offshore shipping mentions borders be-
our team and sharing expectations. Timeliness,
this issue of WINGS. Our cover story on
tween the mainland and Puerto Rico and, in our page 6 article, Industrial Sociologist Martin Hahn
tells us that “more and more companies around
new location, we spend considerable time training
accuracy, courtesy and personalized service are all
part of the Lynden customer service mix.
Years ago, we developed a “wish list” of
the world are hopping national borders to conduct
expectations by surveying our customers. It
below, we share news about the opening of our
pickups and deliveries, the last, knowledgeable
business.” Lynden is no exception. In the article
latest international office in Brussels, Belgium.
All of this talk about national and international
borders got me thinking about the importance of
consistency when doing business both domestically
and abroad. At Lynden, we strive to provide the
same brand of customer service at all locations –
whether a customer contacts our team in Canada,
Mexico, the U.S., Russia or, now, in Belgium.
Achieving this consistency while operating mul-
tiple locations all over the world can be a challenge.
includes seven items; the first being on-time
customer service and sales staff. Despite its placement on the list, we know that the last item is one
of the most important. Our goal
is to maintain the consistency of
the customer experience no mat-
ter where we go in the world and
how many locations we open.
Feel free to let us know how
we’re doing.
Consistency is one of the most difficult aspects of
Randy Jackson
customer service to achieve, yet research tells us
Vice President
LYNDEN INTERNATIONAL OPENS
NEW OFFICE IN BELGIUM
L
ynden International enhanced its European
by about 2,000 foreign companies including 1,400
center in Brussels, Belgium, operating under
associations. About 60 foreign banks operate in
network with the opening of a new service
a new company, Lynden International (BE).
“We are very excited about this opportunity to
introduce the Lynden International name and brand
market in the world.
Lynden’s new service center is located in
Brucargo at the cargo terminal of Brussels Interna-
had an agent presence in Belgium for years and
international offices in Canada, Mexico and Russia.
understand the local demographics and business
needs, but now we are offering our customers even
WINGS
Brussels, making it the seventh-largest financial
to the Western European market,” says Lynden
International President David Richardson. “We have
greater opportunities and improved services.”
The new location adds a key strategic link to
Lynden’s global network and will help meet the
increasing demand for transportation and logistics
services in Belgium’s medical, pharmaceutical and
other growth industries. Brussels has become the
administrative center of many international organizations, including the European Union and the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The
2
U.S. companies and more than 1,000 international
city has a well-developed infrastructure supported
tional Airport. Lynden has 30 offices in the U.S. and
Continued from page 1
trailers with a lift gate perfectly suited for deliveries
capability, it provides customers even more flex-
trucks cover the island every day, leaving at 3 a.m.
air and ground moves for years, but with this new
ibility when choosing a shipping mode. Customers
can now ship both priority and deferred, using their
existing draft and address book functions.
According to Cruz, more and more retail cus-
tomers are choosing ocean over air. This shift oc-
curred during the economic slump a few years ago
and the trend continues. In 2010, Lynden moved
500 containers to Puerto Rico via ocean and con-
at Plaza Las Americas and other malls. Smaller
and returning at 7 p.m. to serve customers outside
the metro area. “We also provide retailers with ‘white
glove’ service involving delivery of furniture and
electronics to customers’ homes,” Cruz explains.
“We unwrap, assemble and set up the merchandise
inside the home and clean up afterward. It’s a very
popular service with our retailers.”
A growing part of Lynden’s business is support-
sidered it a good year. In just the first few months of
ing retailers who are opening new stores in Puerto
to double it to more than 1,000 containers by the
in the U.S., ships, receives, then warehouses the
2012, Lynden has exceeded that total and expects
end of the year. “This increase in volume allows
us to go to our ocean carriers and negotiate more
competitive rates. We can then pass those savings
on to our customers,” Cruz says.
Recognizing a need to enhance its ocean offer-
ings is part of Lynden’s way of continuing to provide
value and convenience to its customers after many
years in Puerto Rico. Just two years ago, the new
Carolina facility opened with a 35,000-square-foot,
state-of-the-art warehouse with nine dock doors to
Rico. The Lynden staff consolidates all the freight
goods at the San Juan facility, segregating by item
or SKU. As materials are needed for the construction of new facilities, Lynden staff picks and packs
and delivers to the job site. Customers’ contractors
work directly with Lynden through phone or email.
This service is a boon to some of the largest retailers on the island who are building or remodeling
stores, especially with Lynden’s on-time delivery
record of 99.8 percent.
According to Cruz, the unique challenges of
receive customers’ freight for warehouse manage-
an offshore market and location are always in play
warehousing capabilities, Lynden Puerto Rico offers
Rico. “Although we have been fine-tuning and
ment or 3PL business opportunities. In addition to
reliable and affordable air and ocean services, customs brokerage and delivery throughout the island.
Lynden’s fleet of trucks includes four tractor-
“A growing
part of
Lynden’s
business is
supporting
retailers
opening
new stores
in Puerto
Rico.”
when dealing with customers operating in Puerto
bolstering our ocean services this year, we pride
ourselves on our flexibility to handle anything that
customers need in this special marketplace.”
3
www.laf.lynden.com
A partner
in time
SEA STAR SAILS
INTO CALM WATERS
and shareholders.”
Sea Star Line carries cargo on vessels
between the U.S. and Puerto Rico and the U.S.
Virgin Islands. Its ships call at two ports in Florida,
Jacksonville and Port Everglades, as well as San
Juan in Puerto Rico. Feeder vessels connect San
Juan to the Virgin Islands.
Sea Star is strongly committed to the Puerto
Rican trade and serving the people of the island. It
is the carrier’s dominant trade lane and the major
focus of its business. The names of Sea Star’s three
ships were carefully selected to reflect the heritage
and pride of Puerto Rico. SS El Yunque is named
after the Puerto Rican rain forest, and SS El Morro
is named after the fortress that has protected the
entrance of the San Juan Bay since 1540. SS El
Faro derives its name from the many Puerto Rican
W
lighthouses and represents Sea Star Line’s vision,
e’ve had a bit of change in the last few
months,” acknowledges Peter Keller,
Sea Star vessels are the only combination
roll-on roll-off/lift-on lift-off ships in the trade.
lead the Jacksonville, FL-based shipping line after
November 1998, the ships have maintained a 98.5
serving as a consultant and key advisor during a
major restructuring of the company in 2011. With
a new captain at the helm and more than $125
million in recent investments, Sea Star is leaving
turbulent waters behind and sailing into a smooth
and profitable future.
“Our organization is now leaner and more
WINGS
the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
new President of Sea Star Line, “all for
the better.” Keller was brought on in February to
efficient, and we are providing a more consistent
Since their deployment in the Puerto Rico trade in
percent on-time arrival record at San Juan. Keller
contends that a shipping company is only as strong
as its vessels. “They are the lifeline of Sea Star,”
he says, “so reliability and consistency of service
is absolutely essential.” And so is investment. Last
month, the ships went through a major dry docking
to give them a new, more reliable lease on life.
“That’s very important in the kind of trade we
and cost-effective service to our customers,” Keller
are serving,” Keller explains. “We provide a just-in-
some old faces from Sea Star mixed with new faces
location. We service the day-to-day needs of the
says. Keller is leading a new executive team with
from outside the company. “We are re-engineering
it from A to Z with new approaches and a focused,
energetic management team. We are moving
forward with integrity in the business environment
4
guidance, and commitment to the trade between
and in our relationships with customers, employees
time service for Puerto Rico due to its remote island
people and supply them with everything they need
or want. That means the milk and diapers, as well
as construction materials, have to be there on time.”
Spending money to make money is not new for
the company. Between 2004 and 2010, Sea Star
reinvested over $125 million to update vessels,
booking process, a re-invigorated customer service
and technology. Approximately $67 million alone
says. A more visible reinvestment in refrigerated
equipment, employee development, facilities
was spent on vessels and another $11 million on
technology.
As a continuation of the 2010 upgrades,
the management team recently reviewed the
company’s internal processes and, in late April,
realigned its customer service center. The change
reduced five teams to a streamlined organization
of two: Customer Service and Bookings.
process and a state-of-the-art IT system,” Keller
containers (reefers) is part of the program as
well. Recognizing that refrigerated transport is a
huge part of the Puerto Rico business, Sea Star is
leasing 150 new reefers as part of a five-year asset
reinvestment program. “It’s all part of the overall
reinvestment plan we have undertaken to position
the company for future growth and success.”
And the company is indeed moving forward,
The goal was to create a simplified approach,
shedding unnecessary expense and turning toward
of cross-trained employees with specific expertise.
Sea Star is simplicity. “Organizations can become
increase coverage and support, and develop a team
“In closely examining our operations, we found that
we needed to pull booking apart from the customer
service function because of the need for expertise
in hazmat, refrigerated cargo, and other types of
special handling. We have fairly complex intermodal
moves and having a specific group working with
new opportunities for profitability. The new focus at
almost too complex,” Keller says. “I believe the most
elegant solutions are the most simple solutions. At
while embracing new ideas and keeping an eye on
the future.”
Part of that future may include growing other
booking frees up the other group to concentrate
Caribbean markets like the Virgin Islands. “To keep
with customers.”
variety and vitality,” Keller notes. “We may eventually
on tracing, documentation and keeping in touch
This is the first step of a bigger structural
change set for July when the well-known back-office
system “Cargowise” will be implemented at Sea
Star. “Once that is in place, we will have a refreshed
Peter Keller
this point we are trying to simplify our processes
Sea Star healthy and strong, we need economic
look beyond our tried-and-true Puerto Rico market
to Central America and the Caribbean basin to keep
our momentum going and to anticipate the needs of
our customers in new markets.”
5
www.laf.lynden.com
Culture is
TEN COMMANDMENTS OF
a shared
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
system of
symbols,
beliefs,
attitudes,
values,
expectations
and norms
for behavior.
M
ore and more companies around the
to communicate with persons from other cultures.
conduct business. Regardless of the
tercultural communication:
world are hopping national borders to
organization you join, you are likely to be dealing with people who come from various national,
religious and ethnic backgrounds. Communicating
across language and cultural barriers at home will
also challenge your skills. Without leaving your
own country, you’re likely to come into contact with
people from a variety of backgrounds who work in
your company, industry and community.
Communicating with people from other cultures
to demonstrate them;
III. Be aware of decision-making customs – not
all people like to make decisions quickly and
efficiently;
IV. Be aware of concepts of time – not all people
like to see time as money;
of differing cultures will bolster your success in
VI. Be aware of cultural context – people from
to effective communication, you must first learn
rely less on verbal communication and more
system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, ex-
ronmental settings to convey meaning. People
in turn, are distinct groups that exist within a major
more on verbal communication and less on
Cultures differ in several ways that affect
VII. Be aware of body language – learn the basic
ferent cultures have different ‘comfort zones’;
business and career. To overcome cultural barriers
certain cultures (called high-context cultures)
what culture actually means. Culture is a shared
on the context of nonverbal actions and envi-
pectations and norms for behavior. Subcultures,
from low-context cultures, like the U.S., rely
culture.
circumstances and implied meaning;
■
■
Stability – conditions in the culture may be
stable or may be changing either slowly or
rapidly;
Complexity – cultures vary in the accessibility
of information;
■ Composition – some cultures are made up
of many diverse subcultures and, gener-
ally, the fewer the subcultures in a person’s
background, the easier it is to communicate
because you have fewer potential differences
WINGS
II. Be aware of differing status symbols and how
V. Be aware of personal space – people from dif-
communication:
to consider;
■ Acceptance – attitudes toward outsiders, some
are openly hostile, some maintain a detached
aloofness, and others are friendly and cooperative toward strangers.
By bridging these differences, you can suc-
cessfully achieve intercultural communication.
However, the four elements of culture are very
6
I. Be aware of differing social values;
can be challenging. At the same time, your ability to
foster successful communication between people
Martin Hahn, Ph.D., is an industrial
sociologist with more than 20
years of experience in teaching,
management consulting and
corporate training. This article
is an excerpt from the ebook How
to Communicate Interculturally.
Here are the so called ten commandments of in-
general in nature. They don’t say much about how
differences in the way people supplement their
words with body movement;
VIII.Be aware of different etiquette rules or manners – what is polite in one culture may be
considered rude in another;
IX. Be aware of legal and ethical behavior;
X. Be aware of language barriers – English is
the most prevalent language in international
business, but it’s a mistake to assume that
everyone understands it.
Learning as much as possible about another
culture will enhance your ability to communicate
with its members. Read books and articles about
the culture and talk to people who have done
business with that culture’s members. Concen-
trate on learning something about the culture’s
history, religion, politics, values and customs.
Find out about a country’s subcultures, especially
its business subculture, and any special rules of
protocol.
New office in San Francisco
Lynden International opened a new company
office in San Francisco July 1. The location gives
customers in Northern California and Northern
Nevada new options for domestic and international
transportation and freight forwarding, according to
Regional Vice President John Kaloper. “As a leader
in global transportation and logistics, we are excited
about expanding Lynden’s presence in the high-tech
sector of Silicon Valley,” Kaloper says. “The new
office in South San Francisco adds a strategic link to
our network and allows us to provide domestic and
international service in the Bay Area and beyond.”
The Lynden International office is located at 268
Lawrence Ave., South San Francisco, CA.
Lynden launches new website
Lynden’s website is sporting a fresh new look
and expanded content after a redesign earlier this
year. The new site, www.lynden.com, was created
by Lynden’s marketing team to update and improve
information and graphics and to make navigation
easier for current and potential customers. The
site offers user-friendly “solution” pages to help
customers research and complete transportation
and logistics projects.
Senator Begich pays a visit to Lynden
Lynden’s refrigerated “cool chain” service is
popular with seafood shippers across the country.
And what better place to share the benefits of
this service than the annual Boston International
Seafood Show. The Lynden team hosted a booth
at the event earlier this year. Lynden International
works with sister companies Alaska Marine Lines,
Brown Line and Movers to bring fresh seafood from
Alaska waters to restaurants and homes all over the
world. Alaska Governor Sean Parnell stopped by the
booth during the three-day show as well as Alaska
Lynden keeps it cool for
customer in San Francisco
Import Agent Debbie Jones had a chance to
demonstrate the Lynden brand of customer service
earlier this year when a shipment came in from
Australia to the San Francisco office. A pallet of
raw pharmaceutical materials arrived consisting of
18 Styrofoam containers packed with dry ice. Due
Inside
Information
News briefs from
around the Lynden
International system
to government issues with the documentation, the
cargo was detained at the warehouse and was
at risk of thawing. Debbie and customer Ralph
Thomas of Baxter Healthcare Corporation teamed
up to carefully watch over the shipment, repacking
the containers with dry ice to keep the materials
cool and checking the temperature monitoring
devices. After 20 long days, the shipment was
finally released and inspected for damage. “We
were thrilled and amazed to find that all the ‘re-icing’
efforts paid off and protected the valuable shipment
from thawing,” Thomas says.
Carcamo goes Above and Beyond
Each quarter, Lynden presents an Above and
Beyond Award to an employee whose work makes a
significant and positive impact on the company. This
quarter, Miguel Carcamo of the Los Angeles office
(right) was recognized for his efforts in developing
Lynden’s ocean business. “Miguel consistently
shows professionalism, dedication and takes pride
in his work,” reads his nomination written by District
Operations Manager James Bisho. Carcamo has
Miguel Carcamo
worked for Lynden for more than 20 years.
The Inside Scoop
What customers are saying
about Lynden International
Senator Mark Begich (pictured below).
“Everything we
ask is done to a T.
Good job!”
From left: Dennis Mitchell and Kevin Adderson, Lynden
International; Ron Beach, Movers; Senator Begich,
Greg Obeso, Lynden International; Dan Bonney, Alaska
Marine Lines and Alan Hartgraves, Brown Line.
Darrin Lee
Senior Vice President
Kipper Tool
Gainsville, GA
7
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Worldwide Headquarters
P.O. Box 84167
SEATTLE, WA
Permit No. 6781
Seattle, WA 98124 USA
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Lynden
in the
Spotlight
LYNDEN’S BEST RECOGNIZED
AT SYSTEM MEETING
Operations Manager. “Last year was very
busy in Alaska. Our crew worked hard to
meet the needs of our external and internal
customers, and I am proud of their efforts
which led us to receive the awards we did
this year.”
The Atlanta Service Center was recog-
nized as the top international service center.
The San Diego and Anchorage Service
Centers received Operational Excellence
The Anchorage team with the Stanley Cup. From
left, District Operations Manager Jeff Pennell, Vice
President-Oil and Gas Dennis Mitchell and Movers
District Operations Manager Mike Morris.
S
Website: www.laf.lynden.com
Telephone (206) 777-5300. E-mail: [email protected]
Lynden International, P.O. Box 84167, Seattle, WA 98124.
Correspondence should be directed to WINGS Editor,
All rights reserved. Produced by Tami Beaumont Consulting.
WINGS is published biannually by Lynden International.
presented to the Vaughan Service Center.
In addition, seven service centers earned Top
an Diego was the site for Lynden Interna-
Gun status for outstanding sales performance.
28-30. Each year representatives from
Houston, Orlando, Philadelphia and Russian Far
WINGS
Awards, and the Lynden International Logis-
tics Co. (LILCO) Operational Excellence Award was
tional’s Annual System Meeting March
Lynden’s national and international offices gather to
honor the top employees and service centers with a
variety of awards for performance during the previous year. The annual event also gives employees
and managers a chance to strategize for the year
ahead, attend training and seminars and unify sales
and marketing efforts.
For 2011, the coveted Stanley Cup Award was
presented to the Anchorage Service Center for
They include: Anchorage, Atlanta, Dulles/Baltimore,
East. Seattle District Manager Sheri Coluccio
earned the Rainmaker Award for an individual
who meets growth goals, is profitable and delights
customers. “Lynden has always understood and
supported the mutual vision of building lasting
partnerships with our customers,” Coluccio says. “I
feel fortunate to have been able to succeed at a job
I love for a company that supports me.”
District Operations Manager Chris Bourgeois
the highest revenue growth, customer satisfaction
of Lynden Canada Co. was awarded the Hall of
expected the trophy and it was a pleasant surprise
consistent and long-term success in the company
and system operational requirements. “None of us
when we were called,” says Jeff Pennell, District
Fame Plaque for an owner or manager who provides
or industry.