Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/342647
11 Logistics Adds Value In a strategic effort to offer a wider variety of value-added services to customers on the island, Crowley acquired Puerto Rico-based Islandwide Air and Ocean in 2010 to provide services such as warehouse management, inventory management, pick and pack and retail time-sensitive deliveries. Also as a result of the acquisition, Crowley began offering less-than-containerload (LCL) freight transportation to Puerto Rico from the company's Miami and Jacksonville warehouses, as well as from a new consolidation center in the Northeast. "When it came to making an acquisition and establishing a strategic partnership in Puerto Rico, Islandwide's excellent reputation for integrity, customer service, and on-time deliveries made them a natural choice for us," says Steve Collar, former senior vice president and general manager of logistics who currently serves the company as senior vice president and general manager, Latin America services. In 2011, Crowley grew its presence on the island even further with the acquisition of Puerto Rico Freight Systems (PRFS), a Guaynabo, Puerto Rico-based logistics company specializing in freight consolidation and LCL transportation throughout the Caribbean. This strategic acquisition helped solidify Crowley as a market leader in the region. "Adding the business and assets of Puerto Rico Freight Systems to the Crowley family strengthened our position as a total shipping and logistics provider on the island and in the Caribbean," says Tom Crowley. "The acquisition allowed us to offer customers more complete solutions targeted to their needs." A year later, Crowley nearly doubled the size of its distribution center in Guaynabo, after the company acquired an adjacent warehouse. The expansion grew the company's total warehouse space on the island to nearly 120,000 square feet, which allowed Crowley to increase its cargo intake and better accommodate retail customers on the island. Furthering its commitment to the island, Crowley's liner services group and Puerto Rico Teamsters Union Local 901 reached an agreement in 2012 on a five-year labor contract covering union employees working at Crowley's San Juan terminal. "The new agreement provides continued stability for our operations and workforce in San Juan," says Jose "Pache" Ayala, Crowley's vice president in Puerto Rico and former president of Local 901. "Providing a quality, reliable service starts with having quality people working safely and efficiently to handle our customers' cargoes. And that's what we have with our union team members."