Outstanding Customer Service Award Winner
Lena DeFazio was recently presented with an Outstanding Customer Service Award in February 2009 as part of John Wright's (Director - Philadelphia Airport Operations) State of the Union to the Philadelphia Airport team. Lena's award served to recognize her continous efforts to proactively communicate BDP's expertise and technology to SIG Combibloc, Inc. The beginning of the BDP-SIG partnership are shared in the BDP USA Secures SIG Combibloc Ocean and Air Import Business story below.
Just had a 15 minute conversation with Donnie Weissberg, Director of Supply Chain Management, North and Central America - SIG Combibloc Inc. It was nice to listen to his feedback on the two of you and your team.
1) Extremely impressed with your persistence, effort and extensive knowledge of supply chain and regulatory
2) You are finally getting recognition, in Germany (HQ), for your service levels, and for BDPSmart, all USA EMO business will be turned over to BDP.
3) 20 man global team meeting in Austria in May to set up their global RFQ, he will allow me to address that team to discuss our gains on the former EMO business, and how BDP and BDPSmart can help them. We can use their live data from the States to make our case.
4) Very impressed with Lena and her tremendous concern and knowledge of SIG's business
John M. Bolte
Managing Director Europe, Latin America, and North America
BDP International, Inc.
BDP USA Secures SIG Combibloc Ocean and Air Import Business
New Opportunities
In September 2007, SIG came to BDP remarking that they wanted to make a change from their current freight forwarder, EMO Trans.
The main concern was that EMO Trans “became satisfied with handling the business as is, with minimal process or technological improvement recommendations for the past twelve years, resulting in status quo performance.” Simply said, EMO Trans has been comfortable handling the business exactly as is and maintained the same processes year over year.
BDP submitted our formal bid for the business and patiently waited for the outcome. Simultaneously, at the time BDP’s proposal was submitted, the entire SIG business went into a global bid, where SIG’s current forwarder, EMO Trans, was –once again - awarded the transportation business.
Building a Relationship
Although the business outcome was a disappointment to BDP, Lena was determined to make the most of the current situation and kept a very close eye on this opportunity. She was continuously in front of the customer, through meetings and communicating weekly via email, to find out how BDP could be involved and even offered suggestions on how BDP could help SIG and its global supply chain partners. Lena’s mindset was to keep forging ahead until we got our foot in the door.
Over time, BDP became an advocate for SIG - continually sharing ideas to improve its processes, such as demonstrating our freight management reporting tools in BDPSmart, emphasizing our extensive regulatory and industry knowledge, and ultimately selling the benefits of lower transportation costs and carrier flexibility through BDP Transport.
Persistence Pays Off
After several BDP-SIG meetings, BDP was awarded the brokerage, or clearance, for SIG Combibloc's inbound ocean and air shipments.
In closing, Lena's persistence, determination, and her ability to assertively communicate the benefits of BDP's service offerings afforded opportunities for BDP USA to secure the import brokerage business. And now, with one foot in the door, we have a blank canvas in front us to demonstrate our expertise and applications to secure additional SIG business. John Wright further comments that “BDP looks forward to a long relationship with SIG and is most appreciative of SIG’s support and business.”
Thank you, Lena, for all your hard work and relentless efforts to build the BDP-SIG relationship and to have, yet another, success story to share with BDP employees and customers alike.
