Fine Art Moving

Services

By Steven J. Edelstein

The Fine Art ef Impelling — Tiie Wiiy and Hew-Te

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tarting a business can be difficult. There are many considerations to be made, a variety of nuances and points to address, and a process of steps, components and actions that must be accomplished. In the direct response (or direct-tocustomer) environment, product needs to be sourced, secured and delivered. In many cases, those products are manufactured outside the United States, and companies need a reliable, cost-effective means and service to tackle the tasks that are so critical to the safe arrival of the product. The fine art of importing — and specifically freight forwarding — is a critical component in this process. The freight import function provides transportation and logistics services from origin to final destination. The individual requirements of each customer vary depending on need and sophistication, but the freight importer will work with the client to tailor a specific program based on customer requirements. Although the typical freight importer provides a menu of services, it will evaluate the needs of the customer and make recommendations based on this analysis. Tony Kozlowski, CEO of American Intl. Cargo, says, "The American Companies have been in business since 1899, so we have been very adept at gauging the needs of the importing and exporting community. We have found that communication is first and foremost the most important aspect to a successful import or export program."

etors entering into import/export markets for the first time and only ship a small amount of product annually. What are typical issues and/or concerns that direct-to-customer marketers encounter when engaging freight importing? Kozlowski says, "It really breaks down to two issues: cost and service. There are many ocean carriers from Asia to the U.S.A. The rule of thumb always has been the faster the transit time, the more your will pay. At one end of the spectrum, some of...