Crowley expands Caribbean logistics

   Crowley Maritime Corp.’s Caribbean logistics unit has almost doubled the size of its distribution center in Puerto Rico with the acquisition of a second warehouse adjacent to the company’s existing 70,000 square-foot facility in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
   The expansion brings Crowley’s total warehouse space on the island to 119,800 square feet.
   “With the larger facilities we can increase our cargo intake and better accommodate our retail customers on the island,” said Steve Collar, Crowley’s senior vice president and general manager of logistics, in a statement. “We can handle any sized shipment, provide warehousing and deliver it to the customer’s door when it is needed.”
   The expansion enhances the company’s ability to provide a wider range of services to customers on the island and also to those who ship between Puerto Rico, the U.S. mainland and the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Crowley currently offers liner shipping to Puerto Rico from Jacksonville, Fla.; Pennsauken, N.J.; and more than 20 Caribbean islands.
   “The additional warehouse space serves as a centralized routing center for both large and small cargo moving between the U.S. and Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, Central America and beyond,” Collar said. “Combined with our shipping routes, customers can now count on us for all of their shipping and logistics needs in the region.”
   Crowley is further investing in its equipment fleet and in an online cargo management system that will provide customers in Puerto Rico with complete supply chain visibility. The new Web-based management system will provide customers with real-time tracking and receiving information, product allocations, order processing, inventory control and delivery confirmations.