CONTACT Magazine (Vol.18 No.3 – December 2018)

looking outwards
courtesy ramps logistics
Shaun Rampersad, Chief Operating Officer, Ramps Logistics
Ramps Logistics: invest in a local presence
Ramps Logistics began their export journey with Haiti, Guyana
and Suriname in 2013.
Ramps exports integrated oil and gas logistics services,
including freight forwarding, customs brokerage, shore base,
and visas and work permits. Preferring to establish local
offices, it now has a presence in Guyana, Suriname, Miami
and Houston.
Shaun Rampersad, Chief Operating Officer, says: “Every
country has a different model of operating and culture, and
you need to fully understand this. Guyana is culturally similar
to Trinidad, which made it easier for us.”
Ramps is proud that its Guyana office is fully staffed by
Guyanese, and that it is now the largest employer of Guyanese
in the oil and gas sector there.
Rampersad advises: “Just do it! Go, open an office,
develop relationships, tell people what you are doing and
ask for help. Speak to others who have done it already, and
ensure you are well enough capitalised to be able to make it
through the tough times. Once you start exporting you can
standardise your format and develop a model which can be
replicated in other markets.”
Rampersad says his leadership team would be happy
to share their exporting lessons with any exporter. For the
future, Ramps is targeting the Latin American and West
African markets, and will be further exploring Mexico and
Colombia in the next few months.
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Trinidad
and Tobago Chamber
of Industry and Commerce
www.chamber.org.tt/contact-magazine