CFL Agencies

Making waves

CFL Agencies has been making waves for a year or so now. Of course, there are plenty of Florida-based NVOCCs but this one really does seem to have stirred UP things since its market entry in January 2019

Caribbean Maritime speaks to CFL Agencies’ chief executive David Ross and formerly of SeaFreight Agencies:

Q. When was CFL Agencies set up and why?

A. CFL was formed in early 2019 in response to ongoing requests from the trade for responsive and personalized customer service in the region. It has been heartwarming to see the way clients continued to reach out to us and encourage us to enter the trade. We have had a lot of fun in doing so and made a lot more fans of CFL as we build the business.

Q. Would it be unfair to say that CFL has some similarities to SeaFreight Agencies, but without the hardware?

A. CFL is a customer service driven organization and many on our team do come from the SeaFreight days, which was known for high-performance, high-quality customer service culture. That’s the real similarity.  CFL’s focus every day is on service, service, service.  Although hardware is important, the level of customer service and where every detail counts is our primary approach.

Q. When did CFL move into the headquarters office at Riviera Point and what was the strategy here?

A. CFL moved into its current location in October 2019. We had temporary offices in Miami as we waited for the building at Miramar to be completed. It’s newly built, energy efficient and well equipped with communication redundancies and work-flow efficiencies.  The team loves the office space and it was important to have a certain work flow in the space. Since we work from the office as well as remotely due to regular travel etc, the space is designed to be comfortable with ease of communication within the office. There is an excitement with the CFL team for what we do and how the trade is responding. It does not feel like “work”. We were fortunate getting into the building in the earlier phase which has allowed us to secure additional adjoining space to support 2020 expansion.

Q. During recent months CFL has opened new offices in Suriname, Jamaica and Guyana. Do you have any plans to open further offices throughout the region?

A. The response from the trade has been so positive that we go where the trade directs us. Expansion is always our goal but it has to be done where we bring value to the clients and to our stakeholders.
There does not seem to be a limit to where that takes us, so we go step by step, market by market. Opportunities lead to opportunities. Our product is what opens the doors.

Q. Which carriers out of South Florida are you using?

A. We are pleased to have a number of carriers to work with that allow us to offer multiple service opportunities to the trade or even multiple sailings on one trade lane. We respect the carriers and the truckers and other service providers that we work with and believe in being good corporate partners in any relationship. It has to be a fair and mutually beneficial relationship.

Q. Do you ever see CFL moving from NVOCC to full vessel operating regional container line?

A. Anything is possible as opportunities arise, however our current model and business plan is for an asset-light model which has proven to be a reliable and cost-effective way to provide quality service to the clients.
We have a service profile that when mixed with the right combination of sailing schedules, trucking/inland services, quick turnaround of documentation, allows us to be nimble and responsive to the trade.

Q. Is CFL Agencies purely concentrating on FCL cargoes? If so, why?

A. We are an FCL-neutral NVO which allows the real LCL experts to do their thing and maximize their service level to the clients in combination with our handling of their containers.
Strength and strength has to be a win/win for the trade and the end-users. There is no reason in our opinion to get out of our lane at this time.

Q. What is CFL’s frequency of service to its various destinations?

A. Weekly or multiple sailings per week depending on the trade. We are very excited about the business we’re developing from Asia and Europe to the Caribbean/LATAM and this takes on a whole different dynamic to what we do in terms of frequency of sailings, service offerings etc. North America/Caribbean/LATAM is our bread and butter, but the opportunities that the trade is presenting to us for global growth is very encouraging.

Q. Does CFL own/lease any of its own containers? If so, how many and of what type?

A. We do not own/lease containers at this time as this would add an element of costs and duplication of assets already in the trade. The combination of what we offer together with our partner carriers is really where we get the most competitive and efficient service to the end-users.

Q. How pleased were you when CFL Shipping Montego Bay was appointed agents by CMA-CGM? And is CFL looking to act as a shipping agent in other locations where it has a physical presence? Or was this a one-off?

A. We are very pleased to have been chosen for this opportunity by one of the world’s largest carriers as it signified that our service level was to the point where we have been recognized – not only for what we’re doing on our own behalf as CFL, but what we can do together with a carrier to bring that true end-to-end service to the trade. CMA-CGM has been a great partner to work with in the region as a whole and we are excited about the relationship and what further opportunities are open to us in the future. The future is bright and we are grateful to our clients and partners for the opportunities.