Miami Should Celebrate Its Continued Growth As A Logistics Solution For International Business

DORAL, Fla. - May 28, 2013 - PRLog -- For decades, Miami has been a logistics solution for international cargo. And as we all know, Miami has been working on its infrastructure to offer even more solutions. It is only fitting, then, as my industry celebrates Logistics and Trade month that I celebrate the amazing accomplishments of our great city and applaud all those involved in making Miami no longer just the Gateway to the Americas and the Caribbean, but also to the rest of the world for international trade.

A huge benefit that is quickly growing in South Florida is the introduction of new degree programs in international trade and logistics. Several South Florida universities are now offering a variety of new college courses to support the education of our labor pool. The focus on logistics and supply chain management helps to bolster investments made by our local companies and government in the physical infrastructure of Miami. In the last 8 years, there have been several courses and degree programs launched by our educational institutes that are now directly related to the transportation industry.  For example, in the fall, Miami Dade College debuts their program with two degrees: an Associate in Science in Transportation and Logistics and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Supply Chain Management.

Another great advantage that Miami offers is the amount of third party businesses that support international trade. For those thinking of opening a branch in Miami or doing business with an American company, they have at their hands all those businesses that support those operations.

In South Florida, there is the largest concentration of international banks in the entire United States, more than 121 in total. There are law firms for business, immigration, international trade and just about any other law you could need. There are accountants who specialize in foreign investment and in many cases not only the laws of the United States but also the laws of foreign countries where those investments originate. There are many other companies to support international trade such as marketing, communications, and other professions; the list is long!

Miami is a city of choice for banking, legal and accounting professionals and attracts many Fortune 500 companies. More than half of the Fortune 500 companies have offices in Miami. There are more than 1,250 multinational corporations have Latin America divisions in Miami. These corporations know the support they have in Miami.

MIT Professor Yossi Sheffi has studied and written about a phenomenon called "clusters" which presents itself when a large group of related companies in the same industry are grouped into a specific geographical region. The most evident example is Silicon Valley where there are thousands of technology related companies in a small region. In his latest book, Professor Sheffi has referenced Miami as a “Logistics Cluster” due to the overwhelming amount of logistics-related companies grouped together in our region.

We have nearly 50 international airlines with over 800 daily flights. PortMiami receives almost 20 major shipping lines nearing 1,000,000 TEU's annually. There are millions of square feet of existing warehouse and millions more in logistics parks under construction now. There are over 1000 logistics companies including Custom Brokers, forwarders, NVOCC’s, trucking companies, 3&4PL operations. Miami offers everything that a logistics operation requires.

Miami has 25 foreign trade offices, 64 consulates and 40 chambers of commerce. The world stands at the door of our great city. Giving further support to businesses, chambers of commerce, consulates there are hundreds of organizations that are already established to help trade. Each has its mission to inform and represent their members in order to improve their business.

Florida Governor Rick Scott, who is a originally a businessman himself, leads his career as governor favoring businesses by lowering state taxes to give more opportunity to trade. He has traveled extensively and has established several business missions to other countries to open the doors of international business with Florida and especially Miami. Governor Scott and Florida have invested heavily in state infrastructure at airports, ports, railways and roads all to serve the growth of international freight.

The last benefit we can offer from Miami is that over 60% of the population of Miami speaks Spanish. Get off the plane and dive right in to your business dealings without even having to change your language. One can spend the whole day making their rounds in Miami and not have to switch gears in speech though the occasional Spanglish or Portuñol can be heard amongst the crowds. In short, Miami is a multicultural city which provides for a huge advantage for doing business here.
Miami offers a wide and diverse range of skilled and educated employees in logistics and transportation. Miami offers many affiliate companies that support international business.

Miami offers an unparalleled logistics industry.
Miami offers agencies and organizations to support the opening of and support for business and trade, Miami offers that infrastructure and government that is Pro-Business.
Miami is multicultural that facilitates doing business and most importantly....
With 250 days of sunshine and an average temperature of 75-78 degrees, Miami provides a perfect environment to be the gateway between the United States and the World!

-   Gabriel Rodriguez
President, A Customs Brokerage, Inc.
Doral, Florida