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Put heart into the company, advises

Aeropost entrepreneur Jim Fendell

Written by WorldCity Staff. Posted in CEO Club 

It all started with a can of salmon.

Jim Fendell’s father liked canned salmon and couldn’t find it easily near their home in

Costa Rica.

More than 25 years later, the business that Fendell launched to ship household goods fromthe United States to Latin America is expanding into its 45

th nation, reaching one million

customers and employing 1,000 people across the Americas. Sales are so robust that thecompany operates a massive warehouse near Miami airport and recently, launched its own

Internet store.

Fendell shared the story of his Costa Rica - and Miami- based business, Aeropost

International Services, with WorldCity’s CEO Club on June 7 in a lively session thatlooked at the role of strategy, culture and downright luck in developing a multinational.

Jim

Fendell of Aeropost International Services began with shipping salmon to Costa Rica.

Photos by Carlos Miller

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“It’s been a wild ride and continues to be,” the bi-cultural “Gringo Latino” told the group. 

Fendell credits “fortunate circumstances” for some of his success: He was running a business that delivered U.S. newspapers to Costa Rica when his dad asked him to bring

down that coveted salmon.

Yet many people fail to see opportunities and when they do, fail to act on them, the

entrepreneur said.

“What’s important is to see that fortunate circumstance and see it can be taken advantage

of,” said Fendell. “And making it easy for your customer to buy from you is a fundamental

lesson I’ve learned.” 

Aeropost specializes in sending consumer goods from the United States to households in

Latin America. Customers mainly buy online and then, have the items mailed to a Miamiarea address. Aeropost then gathers the goods and sends them air-freight to different

countries –  an average 18,000 to 25,000 packages per day of such varied items ascomputers, perfumes, sneakers and books.

The company started out catering to customers who bought mainly through catalogs. But as

sales went digital, Aeropost did too. Fendell claims he was among the first in Costa Rica tohave a private e-mail.

Today, with sophisticated electronic databases that detail what his customers buy, Fendellmines digital information to know what sells best and even offers it directly through his

own Internet store. Last year during the peak sales season before Christmas, he even pre-

stocked items in Miami, asking a key supplier to send flat-screen TVs to his Miami area

warehouse for likely sale later.

Steven Bartley, principal with

Americas Gateway- Search & Consulting.Secrets to operating the business fascinated CEO

Club members, who asked Fendell questions from how he deals with customs agencies to

how he communicates with staff in nearly four dozen nations.

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Fendell said he’s strict with employees and customers to ensure he runs an ethical firm with

“a culture of integrity.” He dismisses employees who pay bribes to officials aiming to

speed deliveries. And he “fires customers” if after an initial warning, they again put false

information on orders attempting to avoid duties.

“To fire people is the worst way to enforce things, but it’s the ultimate way,” Fendell toldthe group. “We deal ethically with people and expect ethics back.” 

How the company thwarts fraud piqued the interest of Steven Bartley, principal with

Americas Gateway- Search & Consulting. 

Aeropost must comply with U.S. Postal Service rules and asks its customers to do thesame, Fendell said. The company requires two forms of identification and a signature on a

sworn document, and it reserves the right to inspect shipments.

Carlos Garcia, regional head for Latin

America for Novartis Latin America Services.

And where does Aerpost make its money –  on shipping or other fees?, asked Carlos

Garcia, regional head for Latin America for Novartis Latin America Services.  

Traditionally, profits came from transportation and a small membership fee, Fendell said.

But membership fees are going the way of catalogs, so the company aims to profit partly

from direct sales at its Internet store.

Still, it’s tough to build a unified corporate culture and keep employees engaged as you

expand operations to more and more countries, noted Adriana Garcia Espinoza, regional

director for the U.S. southeast for Mexico-based Praxis IT. 

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