WELCOME NEWS FOR CONSOLIDATORS INTERNATIONAL

The TSA division of the Department of Home Security is moving forward in implementing 100% screening of all air cargo by year’s end. Last year we invested $hundred’s of thousands in screening equipment and this year we trained six specialists in our security screening department in Los Angeles. Many of our brethren forwarders are scrambling as the airlines have advised come May 1st, unscreened cargo will incur huge delays in being processed. The cats are quickly being sorted out amongst the pigeons and CII is on track to benefit from the new measures which will take place in 2010.

When TSA first announced its implementation policy we became aware of the ramifications or I should say three senior staff members did. President Peter Lamy immediately saw huge opportunity while all I could see was increased costs! In spite of my skepticism, Peter went ahead and brought two experts on board; Jeremy Vergara and Zachary Zemby. The three of them, with me as an observer, tackled the issues and challenges with schoolboy enthusiasm. Today, our screening facility is a credit to Peter’s vision and tenacity to get the job done. CII also owes a huge amount to both Zachary and Jeremy for their thousands of hours of research and subsequent implementation of the plans.

As the rest of the industry continues to be at sixes and sevens praying the TSA will postpone D Day, the CII teams in Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York are ready to pick up the mantle once August 1st arrives. There is no question our screening facility will become a major source of revenue/profit in the years ahead.

Tags: ATL, CII, DHS, Forwarders, Jeremy Vergara, JFK, LAX, Peter Lamy, screening, TSA, Zachary Zemby