by Scott Frederick | Oct 13, 2015 | News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Logistics Plus Partners with Erie International Airport and Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority to Activate New FOREIGN TRADE ZONE
The ERI FTZ will provide regional businesses deferred, potentially reduced or eliminated, Customs duties, and reduced door-to-door transportation expenses.
ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, October 14, 2015 – Logistics Plus Inc., a worldwide provider of transportation, logistics and supply chain solutions, announced today that it has added a new and significant cost and time savings option to its portfolio of available client services: the implementation and use of Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) protocols.
Since 1934, and all across America, U.S. Foreign Trade Zones have proven to be enormously successful examples of ‘public-private partnerships’; wherein regionally-focused public agencies support and coordinate their efforts with businesses to foster opportunities to increase job creation, expand capital investment, and expedite economic development by facilitating global trade.
The new general purpose ERI Foreign Trade Zone (ERI FTZ) warehousing and distribution facility is located on Tom Ridge Field at Erie International Airport (ERI); and was accomplished in close cooperation with ERI, and the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority (Port Erie), the Grantee of Foreign Trade Zone #247.
To introduce and celebrate the launch of the activated ERI FTZ, there will be a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3837 West 20th Street (the former Penn-Brass building) in Erie, PA on October, 22nd, at 3:30 pm. Immediately following the ceremony, Logistics Plus will host an informational reception at The Brewerie at Union Station, located directly below its 1406 Peach Street global headquarters. Leaders from regional businesses that already are, or intend to be, actively involved in world trade, are invited to attend.
Port Erie and ERI filed applications and received grants of authority for Foreign Trade Zone status from the U.S. Foreign Trade Zones Board in Washington. Under a contractual agreement with ERI, Logistics Plus filed and secured activated status for the site from Customs & Border Protection (CBP) and will operate FTZ warehousing and distribution facilities on the airport property.
“We’re very excited about this new partnership with Erie International Airport and Port Erie, and the long-term economic development prospects it provides to the Erie area,” said Jim Berlin, founder and CEO of Logistics Plus. “Erie International Airport has a great location and facility, while Logistics Plus has the knowledge, experience, equipment, software, and expertise to make this FTZ partnership very successful.”
Thousands of U.S. businesses have discovered that Foreign Trade Zone utilization can prove to be an incredibly effective tool to help develop new markets while systemically increasing profitability from both their existing operations and international trade relationships. CBP has declared FTZs to be the best practice for compliant management of global supply chains, coordinated logistics, and integrated manufacturing operations. FTZs enable importers and exporters to consistently benefit from this CBP-privileged status; offering duty savings, reduced transportation and insurance costs, and the flexibility to do in America, what is too often done off-shore. This includes packaging, kits, labeling, sorting, assembling, processing or manufacturing. If the finished products are exported from an FTZ, the original Customs duties are reduced ($79B in CY 2013).
“I am impressed with how quickly Logistics Plus was able to get this public-use foreign trade zone activated and business-ready,” said Christopher L. Rogers, Executive Director at Erie International Airport. “Combined with our recently extended runway and other economic projects, Erie International Airport has expanded beyond passenger-only transportation – we are also a capable hub for air cargo and global commerce.”
To learn more about the ERI FTZ powered by Logistics Plus, please visit www.logisticsplus.com/ERI-FTZ
About Erie International Airport (ERI)
Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field is managed and operated by the Erie Regional Airport Authority. It is served by three major airlines: Delta, United, and American with nonstop flights to three major cities and connections to over 1,100 different destinations. North Coast Air, located on the west side of the airport offers the region’s best in FBO services including fuel and aircraft maintenance. Also located at ERI, the North Coast Flight School is the only FAA fully approved flight training center serving the greater Erie area. The Erie Regional Airport Authority is a Pennsylvania Municipal Corporation established in 1951 under the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Act No. 164, for the purpose of acquiring, holding, constructing, improving, maintaining, and operating, owning, leasing, and providing financing for the airport and all facilities necessary or incident thereto. Learn more at www.erieairport.org
About Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority (Port of Erie)
The Port of Erie is located on the southeast shore of Lake Erie in a natural bay formed and sheltered by Presque Isle, Pennsylvania. Erie´s harbor entrance channel is 29 feet deep. The Port of Erie and O-N Minerals Erie offer cargo shippers on the Great Lakes/Seaway System the finest facilities available. With 85 million people within a 500 mile radius, Port Erie is at the hub of the US and Canadian Industrial Center. Learn more at www.porterie.org
About Logistics Plus (LP)
Logistics Plus Inc. provides freight transportation, warehousing, global logistics, and supply chain management solutions through a worldwide network of talented and caring professionals. Founded in Erie, PA by local entrepreneur Jim Berlin 20 years ago, Logistics Plus has been repeatedly recognized as one of the fastest-growing transportation and logistics companies in the country. With a strong passion for excellence, its 350+ employees put the “Plus” in logistics by doing the big things properly, and the countless little things, that together ensure complete customer satisfaction and success.
Media Contact:
Scott G. Frederick
Vice President, Marketing
Logistics Plus Inc.
(814) 240-6881
scott.frederick@logisticsplus.com
by Scott Frederick | Sep 29, 2015 | News
We are excited to announce that the Logistics Plus® eShipPlus™ transportation management system (TMS) is receiving a makeover. You will see the new design when you log in to eShipPlus on Tuesday, October 6, 2015. While change is never easy, the new design provides a more contemporary and user-friendly experience that we’re confident you’ll come to appreciate.
Here are a few of the notable changes:
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New, contemporary look-and-feel
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Text-based menus to help you find things faster
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Fewer tabs, condensed screens, and faster load times
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Links between pages that work together taking you where you need to be
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Cursor position and tabbing allow you to move through fields in a more logical manner
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New forms open in input-ready (edit) mode, ready for information to be entered
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Expanded resolution allows more information to be viewed on screen – more real estate, wider screens, bigger popups
- Greater use of icons and arrows for a more intuitive experience
- More graphics, including carrier logos in the LTL rate selection windows (and, coming soon, guaranteed delivery options prominently displayed when available)
That’s pretty much it! All of the same tools and functionality still exist without too much deviation from how you used them before. That includes:
- Dashboard for quick access to any tool on the website
- Rate Estimate for quick LTL rate quotes for dozens of top carriers
- Address Book for storing frequently used shipping addresses
- Customer Load Dashboard to view all of your LTL and truckload shipments
- Library Item for storing all of the products that you ship
- Truckload Quote for full or partial truckload moves
- Expedited Quote for expedited and time-sensitive shipments (links to form)
- International Quote for international freight forwarding services (links to form)
- Customer Invoice Dashboard to view, print or pay your invoices
- Report Run to run various reports on your shipping activity
- Help to reach our customer support team and view a user guide
- Developer Access Request to request our integration services
For a peak inside the new eShipPlus, you can also view the short video presentation below.
This is a powerful and complimentary transportation management tool that comes with no obligations. Your complete satisfaction and success is very important to us. Please contact us if you have any questions or need more information. If you’re new to Logistics Plus and you don’t yet have an eShipPlus account, please complete our become a customer form in order to get access today, or click the logo below to start the sign-up process.
by Scott Frederick | Sep 23, 2015 | News
Launched in 2004, SmartWay® is an EPA program that helps the freight transportation sector improve supply chain efficiency. The SmartWay Transport Partnership is a strong government/industry collaboration between freight shippers, carriers, logistics companies and other stakeholders, to voluntarily achieve improved fuel efficiency and reduce environmental impacts from freight transport. Participating companies, like Logistics Plus, use performance based quantification and reporting tools that benchmark and inform industry and the marketplace on freight operations, energy and environmental efficiency. SmartWay partners demonstrate to customers, clients, and investors that they are taking responsibility for the emissions associated with goods movement, are committed to corporate social responsibility and sustainable business practices, and are reducing their carbon footprint. To date, the partnership includes nearly 3,000 companies and associations committed to improving fuel efficiency. You can learn more about the partnership here.
Fast Facts About SmartWay Transport Partnership
SmartWay is a partnership between EPA and large and small trucking companies, rail carriers, logistics companies, commercial manufacturers, retailers, and other federal and state agencies. Collectively achieved (cumulative, 2004 – now):
- Over 3,000 partners
- $20.6 billion dollars in fuel costs saved
- Saved 144.3 million barrels of oil — the equivalent of taking over 13 million cars off the road for an entire year.
- 61.7 million metric tons CO2 reductions
- 1,070,000 tons NOx reductions
- 43,000 tons PM reductions
by Scott Frederick | Sep 8, 2015 | News
Today the Manufacturer & Business Association (MBA) named Logistics Plus as its Member of the Week. We are honored and truly appreciate the recognition of our services and support to the association and its members. The announcement was posted by the MBA to its Business Magazine website at www.mbabizmag.com/2015/09/08/member-week-logistics/
Founded in 1905, the Manufacturer & Business Association is a not-for-profit employers’ association whose focus is to help businesses succeed. The association is headquartered in Erie, PA with an additional office located in Harrisburg, PA.
by logisticsplus | Aug 24, 2015 | News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Logistics Plus Begins 20th Year of Operations
Company has been providing transportation and logistics solutions since August 1996
ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, August 24, 2015 – Logistics Plus Inc., a worldwide provider of transportation, logistics and supply chain solutions, will be celebrating the company’s 20th year of operations over the next twelve months. The company is planning a variety of customer promotions and employee events in the coming year in recognition of its forthcoming 20th anniversary in August 2016.
It all started in August 1996 when GE Transportation, a division of General Electric and a locomotive pioneer, gave Logistics Plus founder and CEO, Jim Berlin, a one-year, three-person purchase order to help manage the domestic transportation of parts from more than 1,000 U.S. suppliers. That relationship would grow into a worldwide global supply chain partnership taking the company to Mexico, India, China, Indonesia, and beyond. In 1999, Logistics Plus began growing and diversifying its customer base, adding additional clients within the U.S. and around the world.
As his business grew, Berlin needed to find a global headquarters that would be the right fit for the company’s expanding staff and international culture. The result was the $2 million purchase of the 100,000 square foot historic Union Station in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania in 2003. Following significant renovations, Berlin would hoist flags at the top of the building to signify the many countries and nationalities represented by his employees – a tradition that continues today.
In 2011, Logistics Plus made an important strategic acquisition when it purchased Horizon Logistics with offices located in Dallas, Texas; Lexington, North Carolina; and San Francisco, California. The acquisition would add additional talent, service capabilities, and warehousing space to its growing network. Additional warehousing capacity was recently acquired when the company purchased the old Skinner Engine building in downtown Erie in early 2014. Berlin has also created or invested in a number of other related companies, including NTL, a national truckload services company; LP Linguistic Solutions, a language translation company; and Lynx Fulfillment, a dedicated warehousing and fulfillment company.
Today, as the company enters its 20th year, Logistics Plus has $120 million in annual sales, more than 1,000 active customers, over 380 employees, and nearly 50 offices in 20 countries worldwide. The company was named to the Inc. 5000 list in 2014 for being one of the fastest-growing transportation and logistics companies in the country. This past year the company has received recognition as a top workplace by the DevelopErie economic development agency, a top 50 freight broker by Transport Topics magazine, and a great supply chain partner by SupplyChainBrain magazine.
To learn more about the company and its history, please visit www.logisticsplus.com/about-us
About Logistics Plus
Logistics Plus Inc. provides freight transportation, warehousing, global logistics, and supply chain management solutions through a worldwide network of talented and caring professionals. Founded in Erie, PA by local entrepreneur Jim Berlin nearly 20 years ago, Logistics Plus has been repeatedly recognized as one of the fastest-growing transportation and logistics companies in the country. With a strong passion for excellence, its 350+ employees put the “Plus” in logistics by doing the big things properly, and the countless little things, that together ensure complete customer satisfaction and success.
The Logistics Plus® network includes offices located in Erie, PA; Fresno, CA; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Evansville, IN; Detroit, MI; Kansas City, MO; Charlotte, NC; Lexington, NC; Buffalo, NY; Cleveland, OH; Charleston, SC; Greenville, SC; Nashville, TN; Dallas, TX; Fort Worth, TX; Laredo, TX; Houston, TX; Australia; Bahrain; Belgium; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; Egypt; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Kazakhstan; Libya; Mexico; Poland; Saudi Arabia; Turkey; United Kingdom; and additional agents around the world. For more information, visit www.logisticsplus.com or follow @LogisticsPlus on Twitter.
Media Contact:
Scott G. Frederick
Vice President, Marketing
Logistics Plus Inc.
(814) 240-6881
scott.frederick@logisticsplus.com
