The decision to expand to Mexico City was driven by Mexico’s recent growth as a manufacturing hub. “Access to big decision makers, the low cost of implementation and development, as well as vendor capabilities for ground, air and ocean make Mexico City the most important location,” said Gordon Branov, Pilot’s executive vice president of business development. “We plan to develop a national network there to support our U.S. stations.”
Look north, Vancouver, B.C., was seen as a vital spot on in the I-5 corridor, running between the U.S. into Canada. “Traffic between Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver is constantly growing, and we plan to capitalize on that market,” Branov said. “Pilot Vancouver will provide more access to the Far East, allowing for increased Asian import and export business.”
The Mexico City station will be managed by Alberto Ocha, a 17-year veteran of the international freight forwarding industry. The Vancouver station will be managed by Lygdel DeLeon, who came to Pilot with 13 years of experience in transportation and logistics.
“We are constantly looking for ways to extend our support service offerings for our customers while at the same time expanding opportunities for growth and new business, especially internationally,” Branov added. “That’s exactly what Mexico City and Vancouver will offer, and why we are looking forward to opening these new stations.”
The two new offices will represent Pilot’s fourth and fifth international stations. The other three stations outside the United States include Amsterdam, Toronto and A Coruña, Spain. Pilot also operates 75 locations throughout North America.