Category: CEO Letter

During the first half of 2023, Prime Group’s “Big Three” for fresh flower shipments span Valentine’s Day on February 14, and International Women’s Day on March 8, and then Mother’s Day on May 14. Certainly, Valentine’s Day is basically upon us, with an estimated 250 million roses shipped globally. But the other big days will be here before you know it, too.

I’m proud to say that the teams of workers at our three business units – Prime Fresh Handling, PrimeAir, and PrimeAir teams – are working 24-7 to meet the needs of our various customers who are directly involved in the shipping and handling of millions of fresh blooms across the globe.

That said, our key Prime Group business divisions continue to expand across the globe, serving business customers in a multitude of diverse industries. Currently, we also offer expert logistics for everything from technology to seafood – including aviation parts, pharmaceuticals, heavy machinery, building supplies, fresh produce, and many other perishables and hard products. We also are a top provider of top-notch GSSA services in several markets, where we serve as the dedicated “boots-on-the-ground” team for several major cargo airlines that are providing lift for wholesalers, retailers, and other distributors out of South American.

Homage to Our Company Roots

While we have branched out into serving so many other different industries, with the tremendous annual flower-shipping effort now underway, I believe it’s a fitting time to pay homage to Prime Group’s roots in fresh-cut flowers. That’s how our corporate journey began over 22 years ago.

Initially, our business started with handling fresh flower shipment from Ecuador to North America and ultimately from Colombia as that market blossomed. Over the years, we’ve expanded into managing floral shipment all around the world, going wherever our customers need their blooms, and partnering with Atlas Air and Emirates SkyCargo to handle the immense payloads. Did you know that Mother’s Day, in particular, is the “Super Bowl’ of flowers – accounting for one fourth of all floral purchases annually?” That’s a fact.

For our employee teams, though, after handling such extreme volumes of product, back-to-back for more than two decades, it’s like “just another day at the office.” So, to all the dedicated PG staff across the globe. I’d like to express my thanks for all you do. In addition, as our loyal wholesale and retail clients receive their fresh flower shipments in 2023, I’d like to say that we’re deeply appreciative of your support – and honored to do our part in helping you meet the immense demand for this beautiful product. We simply wouldn’t be the success we are today without you. My deepest gratitude goes out to all and we look forward to serving you this year and beyond.

Certainly, fresh flowers create a good bottom-line revenue stream for many of us – flower growers, our Prime Group companies, air cargo operators, forwarders, and distributors. But I also believe there’s more to the equation. As we’ve all learned through the years, it’s the little moments in life that truly count. So, as consumers give the gift of a fresh bouquet of roses, an arrangement of colorful tulips, or a lovely corsage, that simple gesture can bring great joy to the faces of their loved ones or friends.

We at the Prime Group are happy knowing we’ve helped make some of those poignant moments possible. So, here’s to a good year, creating more of life’s best and most memorable moments, and “saying it with flowers.”

In 2023 Prime Group celebrates its 22^nd year of providing exceptional global logistics services and products. So, on behalf of the entire Prime Group family – Prime Logistics, Prime Fresh Handling PrimeAir, and Prime Planet – Happy New Year!

We are dedicating 2023 as the year of Integrity in its various forms, namely “completeness,” “adherence” to a solid plan, and commitment to a “sound” future. It is an appropriate theme as we begin to reap the benefits of a comprehensive program, years in the making, aimed at integrating and streamlining the assorted communications systems across the Group so that all four companies might function as one.

Working in collaboration with a major-name tech company, Prime Group has accessed leading technology in the industry – and is now poised to take full advantage of it. It will serve us well by significantly reducing efficiencies, while enhancing growth potential, profitability, and most importantly the customer experience. This is a real game changer for us, but mostly for all our customers.

Also from within, we have re-organized those corporate-base functions that are key to the overall performance and success of the Group. New among the ranks of our management team are highly talented experts in the fields of commercial strategy, information technology, and human resources, to name a few.

Finally, we are aggressively expanding our international scope of operations, commercially, in pursuit of opportunities in new and emerging markets to complement our core businesses. The overarching goal of all our efforts in 2023 is to continually strive to serve the customer better and expand the organization at the same time going forward. It’s a win-win formula!

So, here’s to a happy, health, and prosperous New Year for all our clients – and our employees worldwide. We deeply appreciation the opportunity to work with you.

Cheers!

As we head into the end-of-year holidays, it’s an excellent time to take stock in those things that truly matter most, such as our cherished families, good friends, helpful colleagues, and valued customers.

It’s also a time to look back, and in the process give our industry great credit for making it through yet another hugely challenging year. Despite the continued rise of new variants of COVID-19, and the persistent global supply chain issues, we’ve been able to tap into our new-found ways of coping and adapting to keep on pushing forward. And as if that wasn’t enough, 2022 ushered in an entirely new set of disruptions as well, namely, the looming worldwide recession and the impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine on fuel costs…

Just another day at the office? Hardly not, because on the business side, such conditions and the uncertainties they bring create mind-boggling issues for third-party forwarders, handlers, and shippers – not to mention all the customers downstream. Oddly enough, however, sudden and unpredictable pressures do serve to underscore the importance of readiness, resilience, and shoring up operations that will help us make it through the next biggest storm.

And that’s exactly what we did in 2022. From a business perspective, I’m happy to report that all the Prime Group business units expanded this past year with new services and new products – and new strategies that will help us stay strong and stay the course over the long-term.

At our Prime Logistics division, we set the stage for expansion of our international scope, commercially, by pursuing opportunities and new markets to complement our core service offerings. We are very solid on the air cargo side and ocean freight, and in terms there are so many more opportunities we will pursue in the year ahead.

I’m happy to report that in 2022 Prime Fresh Handling continued to be a real powerhouse provider in international fresh fish and produce shipping and handling – even with ongoing global logistics challenges. And though our historic foothold in fresh-cut flowers remains very strong, throughout the year we continued to focus on diversifying into other commodities that will help the overall organization grow.

On the product side, our Prime Planet division, strengthened its presence beyond the southeast U.S. where we are extremely well established with retailers and wholesalers. Due to the resounding success of our Tostones snack chip line here, we are now in a very good position to aggressively expand northward and nationally in the new year. And there are some more changes underway with this division as well, so stay tuned.

At PrimeAir, we are set to take full advantage of the customized software we introduced in 2022 that reduces the overlapping manual re-entering of information between the different airlines we work with each time we manage an operation. This will free up our agents across the multiple countries we serve to focus more on customer service.

Group-wise, we also selected industry-leading technology this past year to streamline internal systems and processes across all divisions that likewise will allow us to ensure we always put the customer first and expand the organization at the same time going forward.

And because greatness starts from within, we used 2022 to build for the future through a re-organization of several corporate functions that are key to the overall performance and success of the Group. As a result, we welcomed new management staff this year in the fields of commercial strategy, information technology, and human resources, to name a few.

It’s clear to see, 2022 was a banner year, with significant advances on all fronts. For this and more, I want to thank our customers, our entire team, and of course our employees’ families too. Without all your support this past year, we couldn’t do what’s needed to prosper and thrive in this amazing industry.

So, as we trim the Christmas tree, light the Hanukkah menorah, enjoy Kwanzaa, or celebrate other holiday or faith traditions, stay positive. Think good thoughts, and take time to breathe, relax, reflect, and enjoy life.

~ Roger Paredes, CEO

Here we are in the heart of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the very midpoint of the month-long celebration that got underway Sept. 15 to honor the history, culture, and achievements of Americans whose ancestry can be traced to Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

I’m particularly pleased that this year’s chosen theme is “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.” It seems fitting given what our entire global community has endured coming out of the pandemic and since. Ily Soares, Supervisory Accountant at Farm Credit Administration submitted that winning theme to the National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers (NCHPM).

Speaking from the heart, “One uniting factor within our Hispanic community is our desire to be included and represented in all aspects of American society,” Soares emphasized. “As has been proven, when different voices are sitting at the metaphorical table and included in key decisions, the entire community benefits from greater solutions that address concerns from all people.”

Certainly, while negativity abounds in society, this year’s theme offers all of us a powerful, uplifting message. Not only does it encourage us to celebrate our heritage, but it also shows how great our tomorrow can be if we simply be united in our resilience – and hope.

The Roots of Our Celebration

Case in point, the Hispanic Heritage observance began in 1968, another challenging time in our nation’s history with the Vietnam War in full swing, racial strife on the rise and violent protests on college campuses. But Hispanic Heritage Week was a positive focus. It began as a weekly celebration under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan to cover a 30-day period; it was enacted into law on August 17, 1988.

Personally, I view Hispanic Heritage Month as a great way of honoring cherished ancestors and building on their legacy. Our own company, Prime Logistics is a minority-based Hispanic company and was founded 20 years ago in Quito, Ecuador. But from the outset, the company’s vision was to grow and prosper – becoming a global leader in logistics services and products.

Solid Partnerships and Growth

Thanks to the solid partnerships we’ve established and maintained over the years with the world’s top air cargo carriers including Emirates SkyCargo, Atlas Air, and others, we’ve done just that. Early on, we also moved our headquarters to Miami, and over the years continued to build our expertise and reliability.

So, while we’re now considered the top “go to” provider of air cargo logistics and transport for the flower industry in both Ecuador and Colombia, we’ve also widened our business horizon by handling shipping and transportation for all types of sensitive perishables – from seafood to medications, from meat to fresh produce. In addition, Prime Logistics’ shipments are increasingly headed for more distant destinations across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

I am also happy to note that Prime Planet is also thriving – our Miami-based snack chip company that produces a line of delicious fried green Tostones from fresh plantains harvested in Ecuador, and then manufactured there, too. Talk about a success story, with a “taste” of Hispanic pride and ingenuity in every bite.

I think the overall message is that people of diverse cultures and backgrounds have much to contribute and are also “stronger together.” That message definitely reflects our corporate philosophy and is a key element of our dealings with our employees, our partners, and our customers.

So, if you are Hispanic, let me thank you for your contributions to our country, our world – and our company, of course! For those of other cultures or ethnic backgrounds, thanks too for all you do. Together, “united,” we are stronger, better, and can create greater amazing opportunities for future happiness and success.

Visit Us at Expo Flor Ecuador

On a final note, I am excited to announce we are heading to Quito, where Prime Group got its start 20-plus years ago, to attend Expo Flor Ecuador, Oct. 5-7. We are extremely excited that our entire PrimeAir sales staff from Colombia, Ecuador, and Miami will be there, in full force. As the one of the largest international flower fairs in the industry, this is a huge opportunity for our team, and we want to make the best of it. So if you are in the “neighborhood” this week, at Centro de Convenciones Metropolitano de Quito, please come by Booth M09 for a visit.

In my 20-plus years in global logistics, I’ve come to learn that success in business is all about human connection. In fact, PrimeAir has pinned its entire approach to business on this core principle.

Consistent, timely, and direct interpersonal communication – it’s how we understand customer needs, and expertly match our services to satisfy those demands.

Every day, across our entire system, we use a broad spectrum of communications options to network and make connections that will attract new business, ensure the best in customer satisfaction, and solidify relationships with our existing clients.

But the big news I wish to share is that finally, after a long hiatus, we are back on board with the most impactful method of sales outreach – trade shows. And topping the list is Expo Flor Ecuador.

Prior to the pandemic, major trade shows such as Expo Flor, which is one of the largest international flower fairs in the industry, served as the primary way to meet with key customers, prospects, and peers – all under one roof.

Expo Flor Ecuador

We are extremely excited to announce that we will be back at the show in full force, Oct. 5-7 in Quito. This is a huge opportunity, and we want to make the best of it, which is why our entire PrimeAir sales staff from Colombia, Ecuador, and Miami will be present.

After so many years, this show is a “reunion” opportunity of course, but make no mistake, we are keenly focused on gaining solid sales traction by bolstering relations and expanding business with our existing forwarders, GSAs, and airline customers, while also opening the door to new business.

Events of this caliber attract top players in the floral and perishables logistics industries – and in great numbers: this first Expo in four years is expected to feature 125 exhibitors and attract more than 1,650 flower buyers hailing from 42 countries around the world.

The Show Must Go On

Face it, we are social animals, and no advancements in video or telecommunications technology could ever hope to match the effectiveness of direct human connection –

and the business it generates. So, I am so pleased that we are cued up and ready to immediately and confidently step back into the most impactful arena for human connection in the fresh flower industry.

Communication is what brings people together in our business and paves the way for future success. I look forward to connecting with you soon.

July awaits with national holidays, a chance to look back historically and reasons to celebrate. 

Navigating through 2022, we’ve reached July, the year’s mid-point. The month is certainly symbolic for several cultures as a point of celebration. Prime Group is headquartered in Miami, where July 4^th is celebrated as a national holiday. It signifies the important day back in 1776 when 14 American colonies signed their “Declaration of Independence” from foreign rule. So, let me be the first to wish all our employees, partners, and clients in the U.S. “Happy Fourth of July” as they celebrate with fireworks, parades, and concerts.

Also celebrating this July are many of our friends, employees, and clients around the world, such as those in Canada and France. Canada Day on July 1 symbolizes the anniversary that started Canadian confederation in 1867; while France’s “La Fete Nationale” or Bastille Day on July 14, commemorates the storming of that Paris fortress and the unity of the French people in 1790. Around the globe, other nations also celebrate anniversaries this summer and we send our best thoughts to them.

Hail Caesar

Wondering how July got its name? That’s an interesting tale. Let’s “rewind” our thoughts back more than 2,000 years to ancient Rome. Within the lunar-based Roman calendar, July didn’t exist. Rather, it was called “Quintilis,” Latin for “fifth month.” Why fifth and not seventh? That’s because the old Roman calendar counted only 10 months (not two winter months), so the month didn’t fall at the same time of the year as it does today. March was the year’s first month. Let’s just say that calendar was confusing.

Fortunately, Julius Caesar, the Roman emperor, reformed it – taking inspiration from the ancient Egyptians and switching to a solar-based system that tracked the time needed for Earth to revolve around the sun. And so created was a calendar of 365.25 days. An extra day was added in February every four years to make up for that extra quarter day. After the two winter months were added in, Quintilis became the seventh month – positioned mid-year.

Then in 44 BC, after Caesar’s death, Rome changed the month of Quintilis to Julius (or July) in honor of the late ruler’s birth month. The new calendar was appropriately named the Julian Calendar. It was used until the late 16th century when the Gregorian Calendar emerged. But today, thanks to the Romans, July remains firmly rooted mid-year.

Dog Days of Summer

Weatherwise, our employees often see July as a month of extremes. For those in the southern hemisphere, July falls in winter; while for Europe, much of Asia, and North America, we have extreme summer heat and humidity. It’s often, as the Romans would say, “the dog days of summer.” So, I’d like to personally thank all our employees, partners, and clients for their dedicated work during July’s most challenging weather days, whether hot or cold.

Relax, Refresh, Reconnect

On a personal level, though, July brings a great opportunity for everyone to relax, refresh, and reconnect with friends and family. If you have a sweet tooth, perhaps ask friends over to share treats during July’s National Ice Cream Month, Chocolate Day in July, or Pecan Pie Day on July 12.

In addition, July is National Hot Dog Month so it’s the perfect timing for a backyard party. If you’re seeking to put on a fancier soiree, consider National Caviar Day on July 18. Also, for those with a health bent, July is National Watermelon Month and National Blueberry Month, plus Fresh Spinach Day arrives July 16, and World Tofu Day is July 26.

Frankly, I’m amazed at July’s array of fun or quirky celebratory days. Just pick your passion and host a get-together. National Country Music Day is July 4, Video Games Day arrives July 8, Embrace Your Geekness Day is July 13, World Emoji Day is July 17, and National Lipstick Day is July 29. Other days honor relatives or pay tribute to house plants, cowboys, lollipops, sharks, ugly trucks and alas, even snakes.

So, heading into July, let’s take stock of the month, appreciate its historic context – and remember to celebrate and have a little fun. Most of all, have a safe summer!

Roger Paredes

CEO Prime Group

‘Tis the Season for Surges in e-Commerce  

It’s that time of year again as the Prime Group of companies, our global logistics customers, and our dedicated worldwide workforce ramp up efforts for 2021’s holiday retail season. Thankfully, e-commerce is booming – creating a torrent of consumer demand among our wholesale clients and retail industry businesses. In late September, eMarketer projected more than a trillion dollars in total retail holiday sales, $200 billion of that in online sales.

So, as this peak retail-buying season kicks off and people weary of the pandemic jump online to shop ‘till they drop, let’s all focus on the importance of keeping the global products pipeline “filled and flowing with goods.” Fortunately, the opportunities are sizable – ranging from the iconic “Black Friday” sales period (and increasingly, even several weeks before that) to the shopping weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanza, and New Year’s.

The Good
During this peak retail sales period – despite many of the persistent stresses along the supply chain – I truly believe there are tremendous opportunities for all of us to shine. At Prime Group, our mission is to provide to our wholesale customers, grocery industry clients, and retail industry suppliers the highest standards in global-logistics support so that their goods arrive in a smooth, safe, and on-time fashion. We know just how important it is economically for our customers to succeed this holiday season in fulfilling their clients’ much-needed “retail fix.”

Consumers concerned about the COVID-19 variants this fall are again depending on the safety, convenience, and reliability of e-commerce channels to buy gifts for friends and relatives – and goods for themselves. In addition, they’re also buying a bit earlier than in the past, as they read news about worsening shortages of the latest electronics and other high-demand goods, and the lack of ample transport capacity by air, land, and sea. That includes everything from the latest fashions to furniture, electronics, office supplies, fresh flowers and perishable foods.

Over the past two years we’ve certainly seen that grocery e-commerce is among the fastest-growing product categories. Increasingly, we’re serving retail grocery operations, distributors, and food-and-beverage businesses such as restaurants – and even the cruise lines. In step with this growing trend, we are now in a position better assist our clients due to the recent expansion of cold storage facilities across our global network. This further allows us to maintain a safe, cold supply chain for shipping temperature-sensitive fruits, vegetables, cheese, fish, and seafood – not to mention vaccines and other medical materials.

On the technology side, we’ve also beefed up our systems and processes, so we’re able to track and monitor customer shipments more closely and to better communicate with them as to the status of those shipments. The goal is to ensure fresh, safe and on-time delivery worldwide.

The Not So Good
The time is now upon us to ensure the holiday season is a successful period for all. Timing is critical. It’s important to recognize that the entire global supply chain is still wrestling with material shortages, lack of availability of certain goods, and manufacturing changes due to factory closures, but also down line due to port closures, air transport delays, and a general lack of transport equipment and capacity. Couple that with consumers buying sooner than later, and it’s time to talk.

And the Jolly
While our lives have been reshaped by this pandemic, the 2021 holiday buying season offers opportunities for all of our businesses. For two decades, customers have depended on Prime Group to adjust to marketplace conditions and help them succeed in getting much needed products from point A to B and then. Through this year’s challenges, we’ve done that by adapting and responding to marketplace conditions that simply weren’t there in the same way in the past. We are working more closely with our customers than ever to help them avoid any pitfalls along the way – and to stay happy!

Yes, all the signs point to a bumpy ride as global industries head into 2022 and beyond. But let’s seize the opportunity to make this year’s holiday retail buying season a success. We’re here and ready to do our part for you.

Stay safe!

– Roger Paredes, CEO