Tampa, Florida-based 3PL BlueGrace Logistics recently announced it is expanding into Mexico by the end of the year.

Scott Schara, chief commercial officer of BlueGrace Logistics, said he’s been doing business in Mexico for more than a decade and has seen Mexico become a “viable option” for more and more shippers.

“You’ve got the port congestion and everything over on the West Coast, then you’ve got the unknown of the cost of the containers coming across the ocean. So Mexico has become much more viable.”

“I think the pandemic and the 2021 supply chain issues coming out of Asia really got people looking at nearshoring as a viable option,” Schara told FreightWaves. “You’ve got the port congestion and everything over on the West Coast, then you’ve got the unknown of the cost of the containers coming across the ocean. So Mexico has become much more viable.”

BlueGrace has not finalized a location for the new office in Mexico but is considering options such as Monterrey and Mexico City, he said. The company recently hired Jose Fernandez Chavira as vice president and manager of the company’s Mexican operations.

BlueGrace specifically wants to take advantage of expected growth in electronics, appliances and automotive manufacturing in Mexico as more semiconductors are made nearby.

Schara said that the plan to open a location in Mexico was also prompted by customer demand.

“We took the opportunity to listen to our customers and roll out a strategy and hire Jose, somebody that’s done this before, and he’s done it before in a very successful manner.”

“We’ve had a number of our customers ask us when we’re going to get involved with Mexico,” Schara said. “We took the opportunity to listen to our customers and roll out a strategy and hire Jose, somebody that’s done this before, and he’s done it before in a very successful manner.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE