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Mercury Rising

With good contacts in the business, a former bookkeeper grows his customs brokerage venture into one of the country's top 10 logistics companies

By Marie Anne Fajardo


Coching later formed a sales team to reach customers in areas targeted by Mercury Freight. In 1990, he established provincial offices at the Mariveles Export Processing Zone in Bataan as well as in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro. The following year, he opened a fourth provincial branch at the Cavite Export Processing Zone. This was followed in 1993 by a fifth branch in Davao and in 1995 by a sixth at the Laguna Technopark in the Sta. Rosa and Binan area. Finally, in 1996, Mercury Freight moved its Cebu office to a bigger location at the Mactan Export Processing Zone in 1996.

Export shipments generate as much as 80 percent of Mercury Freight's business, so the company makes an effort to put its offices as near as possible to the country's export processing zones. "Part of our strategic planning is to be present right where manufacturers, exporters, and importers are, and at the same time to be in constant contact with our foreign counterparts," Coching says.

Since Mercury Freight started, its capitalization has grown more than 2,000 percent, and its annual gross revenues have grown as well from P5 million in 1987 to P50 million in 2007 (as of September). "But we have been reinvesting everything that the company makes," Coching says. In 1998, in particular, Mercury Freight made a very substantial investment to build its current head office and warehouse in Parañaque City.

Another key to Mercury Freight's continuing growth is its strong commitment to quality and to total transparency in its dealings with its customers, partners, and agents. Indeed, in 2001, Mercury Freight was certified as an ISO 9002-compliant firm by SGS UK Ltd. in recognition of the quality of its operations. "We've created a niche in the industry because of the way we operate," Coching says. "Reputation and reliability are very important in the brokerage business. You need honesty, mutual trust, and respect for your relationship with your customers to work."

Aside from running Mercury Freight, Coching has, on his own, diversified into the food and purified drinking water business and seriously pursues breeding of horses as a hobby. "Any business can get congested or saturated so you have to think of getting into other businesses as alternatives," he explains. "As to breeding horses, it's my passion. I started in 2003 by raising three horses, and then I began buying more from Australia. Now I have 40."

Still, Coching is keeping himself firmly on the saddle as president and CEO of Mercury Freight. At the moment, in fact, he is the thick of preparations to open a representative office of the company in Los Angeles.

He explains: "The company has to do this because 90 percent of the shipments from the Philippines to the US is FOB (free on board), which means that the buyers at the end-destinations are the ones paying the freight, so it is they who decide on which freight forwarders to use. We therefore need a representative office in Los Angeles to assist our agents in marketing our services and to give the fullest possible attention to our customers. Our ultimate goal is to strengthen our global market presence and profitability by increasing our volume of business in the US."


CONTACT DETAILS:

MERCURY FREIGHT INTERNATIONAL INC.
Mercury Freight Logistics Center
Ninoy Aquino Ave. cor. A. Bonifacio St.
Parañaque City
Telephone: (632) 830-2033 (trunkline)
Fax: (632) 829-1938; (632) 826-2686
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What Mercury Freight Group Does

Sea Freight With special expertise in NVOCC (non-vessel operating common carriers) and cargo consolidation, using the transshipment hubs of Singapore for ASEAN major seaports, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and the Indian subcontinent; of Hong Kong for Mainland China, Korea, Japan and North America; and of Hamburg for European and West Mediterranean key cities.

Air Freight Through its affiliate company, "K" Line Air Service Phils., Inc. (KLAS-P), the company ensures prompt air-freight delivery of capital goods, perishable, and temperature-sensitive items.

Land Transportation Has full control of land transport operations at all times with its own fleet of vehicles (tractor heads, trailers, open trucks, and closed vans), all equipped with two-way radio systems, that complement its consolidation and flexi-tank operations.

Shipping Documentation Uses the newest computer software BOSS (Back Office Systems Solutions) to provide superior electronic documentation and reduce processing time, cost, and paperwork.

Flexitank Service Has an exclusive tie-up with Trans Ocean Distribution Ltd., the world's largest flexitank operator. TOD's global network caters to clients' requirements for door-to-door or one-way bulk liquid transport of nonhazardous products.

Customs Brokerage Has worldwide expertise in customs documentation that guarantees swift expedition and clearance of goods from the port, and maintains two in-house licensed brokers to ensure that goods are correctly classified for proper duty payments.

Warehousing and Distribution Has a 1,000 sq m warehouse facility that is strategically located at the gateway airport and at sea terminals, and is equipped with the most modern facilities and provided with 24-hour security service. This warehouse facility provides all logistic functions, from simple storage and release of cargo to inventory control, order fulfillment, and pick-and-pack distribution via all modes of transport.

Project Cargo Handling Provides carefully planned and coordinated logistics to ensure that consignments are received on time and in good order.

Ship Agency and Chartering Provides agency services for liners and tramp vessels calling at Manila and outports, and keeps its plan open for ship chartering and management.