BDP International expands presence in Colombia

Global third-party logistics (3PL) services provider BDP International recently said it has taken an equity position in Interflex S.A., a Cartategna, Colombia-based international freight forwarder that is a member of BDP’s global network.

BDP officials said that Interflex, which was established in 1999, provides domestic and global logistics services, including air, sea and inland transport, project cargo, warehousing and distribution, supply base/maritime support and customs brokerage, as well as heavy lift capabilities, containers, cargo insurance, free zones and inventory control, packing and picking. Interflex also has offices in Barranquilla, Bogota and Cali-Buenaventura. It has 50 employees, and is a non-asset based company serving the chemicals, consumer goods, Oil and Gas and the Projects sectors.    

BDP’s global network is comprised of wholly owned offices, joint ventures, and affiliates in more than 120 countries, with offices in a total of 30 Latin American and Caribbean countries, where they provide freight forwarding; warehousing and distribution; air, ground and sea transport; customs brokerage and country-specific import documentation; assembly and packaging; logistics process analysis and administration; on-line information tools and systems applications; and global supply chain management, according to company officials.

“BDP’s geographic expansion mirrors that of our customers’ business activity,” said Arnie Bornstein, BDP’s Executive Director, Corporate Communications. “Colombia has increasingly become a substantial market for our customers in recent years, so it became important to be well positioned in this emerging economy to help our customers grow.”

Bornstein said BDP and Interflex had been in discussions in recent years but following the landmark 2012 Free Trade Agreement between the U.S. and Colombia he said the “time was right” for all parties.

Interflex has been a BDP Global Network for 12 years, and a Premium Partner for the past five years enjoying the highest volumes of shared business, market exclusivity and co-branding, he explained.

“BDP and Interflex clients—especially in key trade lanes such as China, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands and USA—will see more seamless service, greater upstream and downstream information visibility, and cohesiveness by virtue of the combined company’s core strengths,” he said.