Archives for September 2017

September 19, 2017, WTDC Newsletter: Hurricane Irma – Keys supplies – WTDC Safety Milestone: 5000+ days accident-free – Irma’s wake: Duty-Free and Travel Retail respond Florida & Caribbean begin Hurricane Irma recovery, First Harvey, then Irma, and now… Maria? It seems as if the southern United States and the Caribbean can barely rebound from one storm before another is already on its way. Many of us in Miami consider ourselves lucky to have been spared the brunt of the storm. We’ve certainly learned a great deal about our preparations for both storm impact and recovery. We’ve also learned a great deal about our neighbors. We are energized by our staff and the community’s response to each other and to those more affected than ourselves. Continue reading below to support WTDC’s supply drive for Florida Keys residents and the Duty-Free and Travel Retail community supporting the Caribbean. WTDC opened our offices again on Tuesday, Sept. 12. All staff has reported and it’s our pleasure to announce that WTDC made it through the storm unscathed. In fact, thanks to our proximity to the airport grid we never lost power! WTDC took all the necessary precautions with our data and physical infrastructure. We completed a full data backup before the storm and we were able to watch our camera system throughout. Our reinforced concrete block structure and roof designed for hurricane winds held up as designed with no damage to report. We would like to send a big thank you to our staff. They have been exceptional despite challenges the storm has presented like debris and power outages. We are proud of their commitment to serving our customers. Our eyes now turn to Hurricane Maria in the Caribbean and hope all those in its path weather the storm well. Supplies Drive for Florida Keys Residents Donations needed! Our friends in the Florida Keys are in major need of basic supplies in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. We are teaming up with ACE Transport to encourage and assemble donations. The plan is to fill up 3 – 5 Truckloads of supplies and drive them down with a convoy of semi-trucks this weekend. Requested items:  Water, Baby items, Non-perishable Foods, Feminine Products, Soap, Hand Sanitizer, Fans, Toiletries. No clothing, please. We will be collecting the items at ACE Transport: 10901 NW 146 Street Suite 1, Hialeah Gardens, FL 33018. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cutoff for supplies is Friday, 5 p.m. 5000+ days without an injury accident WTDC is proud to announce the achievement of an important milestone: 5000 consecutive days accident-free! We remain committed to safety through ongoing forklift training, CPR and first aid training, education, random drug screening, fire safety, HazMat training, as well as following best practices from OSHA. Irma’s wake: Duty-Free and Travel Retail responds WTDC’s Foreign Trade Zone is the hub for a number of companies doing business in the Caribbean. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Irma, two Duty-Free & Travel Retail companies have pledged their financial support of recovery efforts, among others: International Association of Airport and Duty-Free Stores (IAADFS) donates $10,000 to CARICOM’s Disaster Emergency Management Agency to help the Caribbean. WEBB Banks created a Caribbean Disaster Relief GoFundMe campaign. Tito’s Handmade Vodka will match the first $25,000 in donations. Visit https://www.gofundme.com/WEBBBANKSIRMADISASTERRELIEF to get updates about relief efforts and make donations. At the time of this publishing, they had raised nearly $83,000.00! Onlookers survey the Hurricane Irma storm surge damage in Peacock Park, Coconut Grove, FL. WTDC is located approximately 11 miles from this shoreline area.

IN THIS ISSUE: Closed on Labor Day Reminder Helping Houston through Harvey Health and Wellness: Tai Chi and Zumba Classes MIA Air Cargo Tonnage Up by 4.8% Contact Us: (305) 594-7484 www.wtdc.com Follow Us: Focused on Safety 4988 days without an injury accident Proud members of WTDC is a Foreign Trade Zone and Logistics Company, family-owned and operated by the Gazitua family proudly celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2017. We are a full-service logistics company specializing in international distribution and global transportation management. We provide transportation services via Road, Rail, Air, or Ocean. Temperature Controlled FTZ Warehousing Foreign Trade Zone Warehousing & Distribution (FTZ 281-4) U.S. Customs Bonded Warehousing & Distribution Container Freight Station (CFS) Domestic Transportation In-Bond Export Consolidator (IBEC) Licensed FMC, NVOCC, and IAC Heavy Lift, packing & crating, vehicle loading, and public warehouse Consulting Services: FTZ, Bonded Warehousing, Duty Drawback, FDA, etc. September 1, 2017 inShare Closed on Labor Day Reminder WTDC will be closed on Monday, Sept. 4, in honor of Labor Day. We will reopen on Sept. 5. Helping Houston through Harvey While the floodwaters recede and Houston begins to work towards a new normal, the logistics community will continue its efforts long into recovery. American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) fields requests for emergency assistance in the logistics field and matches them with companies able to supply their infrastructure to assist. You can read more about the organization in this article from Logistics Management or by visiting ALAN’s website. The Port of Houston has resumed partial operations and continues to update its status on its Twitter. The Journal of Commerce (JOConline.com) compiled a very useful list of announcements from logistics companies updating the status of their operations. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by Hurricane Harvey and we wish the region a speedy recovery. Health & Wellness Program: Tai Chi & Zumba Classes WTDC Employees and Tenants attended a TAI CHI presentation at WTDC from Reza Dehbozorgi of Minuteman Press Doral as part of our Health and Wellness program. The following day, Martha Baptista from MBC Latinamerican Cargo led the group in a Zumba class. We are committed to making a WTDC a healthy work environment! MIA Air Cargo Tonnage Up 4.8% After a less than 1% increase in cargo shipments in 2016, MIA welcomed a surge of 4.8% increase in cargo tonnage for the first half of 2017. MIA reported a 114% growth in cargo tonnage on Middle East carriers over the course of this year rivaling the Mexican Carrier increase of 308%, via Aircargonews.net. This can be attributed to the volume of several new freighter airlines to MIA, “most recent of which were Mexican airline AeroUnion and Qatar Airways.” Article by Aircargonews.net: ‘Miami air cargo tonnage up by 4.8% in the first half of 2017″

www.wtdc.com