This week we had an interview with Mr. Valeriano Garcia – CEO Globalia member in Madrid, who talks about his company and the challenges facing the freight forwarding industry.
Q. When and how did you get into the freight forwarding industry?
A. I started my career in the freight forwarding industry since June 1991.
Q. Can you tell us a little about ELS GROUP’ history?
A. ELS is a privately owned logistics company which was founded in Saudi Arabia in January 2012. Our company has very quickly evolved into a premier provider of freight forwarding, distribution and warehousing services. The core focus of our organization is to provide our clients with cost-effective and high-tech solutions for their complicated supply chain requirements.
Q. What distinguishes ELS GROUP from other freight forwarders in your city?
A. Our area of specialization is international transport and multi-modal transport and service. We have been offering complete traffic management services by identifying and evaluating the requirements of the shipper and designing customized shipping programs by making use of the most effective modes of transportation. We provide our clients with a range of logistical services, which include customs clearance, warehousing, distribution, technological services, specialized services for the automotive industry, tailor-made services and much more.
Our culture at ELS is marked by a robust “can do it” attitude- on which we count on for resolving challenging issues, carrying out our daily tasks and for coming up with creative solutions for our clients and partners.
Q. How is ELS GROUP dealing with their daily challenges?
A. Freight forwarding is a global business, which requires us to focus on strong partnership ties between independent freight forwarders and collaborate on more projects as a solid team. However, most freight forwarders fail to grasp the importance of cooperation and teamwork, which is precisely why they miss out on some of the most lucrative business opportunities.
Q. How could the freight forwarding industry improve?
A. Independent freight forwarders need to become part of a network and stay connected with each other, just like the multinational freight forwarders do.
Q. How is ELS GROUP dealing with their daily challenges?
A. Enhancing our IT system and working tirelessly to improve our work relations with the members helps us to get more projects and improve our company’s presence. We believe that teamwork with our partners in various parts of the world is something which can greatly boost our company’s profile.
Q. What attracted you most about Globalia Logistics Network?
A. Some of the factors that convinced us to join Globalia are the global coverage of the network, its reliability and of course the fact that only quality freight forwarders make it to this network.
Q. What would be the most significant shipment your team has handled?
A. Our most significant shipment so far has been the transportation of 4.5 metric tons of IMO mineral to China in a single shipment.
Q. What were the challenges with this shipment?
A. Liaising with the port authorities, road authorities, arranging for permits and licenses and negotiating with the carriers for obtaining equipment space within a very tight frame of time proved to be quite a challenge. Consolidated teamwork and our perfect relationship with the carriers, custom and port authorities are some of the factors which allowed us to execute this challenging project with considerable ease.
Q. Where do you see ELS GROUP in 10 years?
A. For the ELS team, the sky is the limit. In 10 years we will be as high as our efforts can drive us.
