Providing Supply Chain Solutions Worldwide
It is not surprising that H. Saga International/Port Alliance Logistics was recognized on the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce’s list, “10 to Watch in 2018.” Ingenuity, customer satisfaction, and overall growth have been company hallmarks leading up to that recognition.
Founded in 2004 by Lance Lin, H. Saga International/Port Alliance Logistics has provided customers with international supply chain capabilities through an integrated trade and logistics solutions platform. Through key service categories including raw material sourcing, factory sourcing, trading and financing, transportation management, customs and risk management, hub and distribution management, H. Saga International/Port Alliance Logistics provides true end-to-end supply chain solutions, having ‘built a bridge’ to efficiently support North America/Asia Trade.
Lance Lin, founder of H. Saga International/Port Alliance Logistics, and Bob Wilson, CEO and Managing Partner.
Photo by Troy Glasgow
Man on a Mission
Launching as a traditional freight forwarder, Lin realized that for the company he envisioned to be successful in the competitive world of logistics he would have to find his own special niche. His goal was to create a platform for all small-medium businesses to achieve international success. That would be realized by crafting a company that would serve as a portal for all supply chain needs.
Port Alliance would allow clients to manage their supply chain operations as one process to minimize waste, maximize supply chain flexibility, and quickly adapt to the ever-changing market environment and product life cycle volatility.
Train passing through Arlington’s Historic Depot Square.
Photo by Paul Burns
Of the execution of that vision, Lin states, “To grow, you must choose the right strategy for growth: innovate, segment, or bundle. For each of our companies we have chosen a distinct strategy. We ‘innovated’ by creating a tech platform called iXorp. We ‘segmented’ by keeping Port Alliance Logistics focused on providing true white glove service in the international logistics field. And we ‘bundled’ by creating H. Saga, a subsidiary of Port Alliance, to provide a one stop shop for international sourcing.”
With both trade and logistics supply chain capabilities, H. Saga International/Port Alliance Logistics truly offers its clients a coordinated approach with aligned objectives and practices throughout the entire supply chain. The company’s name has become synonymous with integrated global trade and logistics services.
Arlington Chamber Building
Photo courtesy of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.
Growth and Expansion
The inclusion of a full suite of international trade services, along with the addition of Bob Wilson, the company’s Managing Partner and CEO, proved to be the impetus for even greater growth on a global stage.
Lin and Wilson understood that in a world with busy consumers and fierce competition their ability to adapt quickly and provide solutions would be their key to growth. By providing its customers international capability through an extensive network, financial trade services, and local cultural understanding, H. Saga ensures supply, improves supply value, and reduces supply risk with a special focus on the North America/Asia trade. The company’s customers benefit from H. Saga’s highly effective and responsive platforms to coordinate supplier activities and administer vendor compliances. H. Saga also offers a variety of financial services, including Purchase Order Financing and AR Factoring.
H. Saga International was proud to donate $12,000 to support the inaugural class of the Memphis-Shelby County AgTech Summer Youth Program in 2017.
Photo by Erika Bales Photography
“We’ve bundled a variety of services traditionally provided by multiple suppliers and individual companies,” Wilson adds, “including freight services, raw product and manufacture sourcing, quality and design services, tertiary financing and many more. Our most unique offering is the bundling of these services and the flexibility to adapt quickly to meet the needs of our clients. In so doing, we’re able to offer streamlined communication, eliminate handoffs, and create a single point of contact for total supply chain needs. Adding in tertiary finance options traditionally unavailable in these industries adds an extra level of convenience and effectiveness for our small and medium sized business clients.”
Music on the Square concert series held each summer.
Photo by PW Street Photography
The Memphis Connection
Wilson and Lin feel that headquartering the USA operations of H. Saga International/Port Alliance Logistics in the Memphis Metro Area was a logical choice. “Memphis is an underrated international logistics and supply chain hub,” Wilson relates. “With major businesses like FedEx Freight, International Paper, and medical device industry leaders all choosing Memphis as their home base, the city makes perfect sense. Taking a foreign trade operator concept that is common and well known in Asia and placing it in middle America where it is unique and centrally located opens up a whole new expanse of business opportunities. The quality of people and availability of land and resources make this an economical and smart business maneuver.”
Music on the Square concert series held each summer.
Photo by PW Street Photography
The firm’s USA headquarters are in the Memphis suburb of Arlington. Located only 20 to 30 minutes from anywhere in Memphis, Arlington is truly in the ‘Sweet Spot.’ At the intersection of I-40 and I-269, Arlington is poised for major growth while still maintaining its historic small-town charm. With a current population of over 13,000 people and brand new state-of-the-art schools, Arlington affords young families the space to move and grow. Global manufacturers sit side by side with mom and pop establishments and lend to the atmosphere of ‘big’ meets ‘little.’ With the charm and safety of a small town and close proximity to Memphis amenities, recent growth has attracted an influx of young adults with a median age of 32 and a median income of $102,000.
H. Saga/Port Alliance commissioned Shepherd’s Haven, a local ministry supporting special needs adults through both residential and day programs, to create custom gifts for the 2017 Holiday Season. Members of the Memphis team spent time with participants as they crafted nearly 300 frames and ornaments being sent to customers and vendors around the world.
Photo by Troy Glasgow
The H. Saga International/Port Alliance Logistics imprint on the Memphis area has been significant. Named as one of the fastest growing companies in the Greater Memphis Area by Memphis Business Journal and receiving its 2017 Pacesetters Award, H. Saga/Port Alliance continues to gain recognition throughout the Midsouth. Both Lin and Wilson have received numerous individual and industry leader awards such as the “Circle of Excellence Award” from the Council of Logistics Management and “Supplier Partner/Strategic Supplier of the Year Awards” from multiple customers.
“In Bob Wilson, Lance Lin and the team at H. Saga International/Port Alliance, we found a partner that shared the same goal as the Greater Memphis Chamber – to provide economic growth for everyone,” said Phil Trenary, President & CEO for the Greater Memphis Chamber. “Memphis is a city of changemakers. We’ve watched H. Saga grow, change and evolve over the past couple of years. Their entrepreneurial spirit and the innovative company culture Bob and Lance have built at H. Saga is a great model for other companies.”
Memphis team celebrating 2017 MBJ Pacesetters Award.
Photo by Erika Bales Photography
Global Reach–Local Service
While H. Saga International/Port Alliance Logistics has its USA headquarts in Memphis, its reach is truly global. A total of 122 staff members operate six worldwide offices, including Memphis, New York, Los Angeles, Taipei, Jakarta, and Shanghai. Their primary trade is along the Asia/North America trade route with lesser but significant representation in Brazil and the Middle East.
As a company with a strong focus on supporting and encouraging small, local businesses and entrepreneurs as they follow their dreams, H. SagaInternational/Port Alliance Logistics maintains an ingrained commitment to bettering the surrounding communities. Working with several local chambers of commerce and the Memphis Business Journal, the leadership team at H. Saga/Port Alliance sponsors programs throughout the year designed to invest and grow a strong and informed business community, thereby strengthening the local workforce.
Arlington in April held in Depot Square attracts vendors from around the Midsouth selling handmade crafts and boutique items. The event features music and entertainment for all.
Photo by Jerry Borwick Photography
In 2017, H. Saga International/Port Alliance Logistics staff learned of a summer youth program that had been stalled for several years. Stepping up to assist, the H. Saga International/Port Alliance Logistics team raised the necessary funds to pilot the program and located a program director. With the success of that pilot program, team members have begun fundraising efforts to triple the program’s outreach in coming years.
Other significant initiatives designed to improve the quality of life in the area constantly attract new talent to the H. Saga International/Port Alliance Logistics team. They participate in activities ranging from contributions to area schools and veterans initiatives to revitalizing the Arlington Historic Depot Square.
Arlington High School
Seniors, from left to right, Rhodes Carson, Kenneth Walker III, Jorge Avalos and Josh Jones.
Photo by Erika Bales Photography.
“My partner, Lance, and I come from two very different parts of the world, different religious and educational backgrounds, and different world experiences,” Wilson notes, “but we came together with one simple philosophy – ‘Earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.’ That motto permeates every decision we make and has allowed us to stay true to the holistic needs of our clients all over the world. The impact can be seen in each community we touch, the success and growth of each of our clients’ businesses, and the excitement and passion of our team, without which none of this would be possible.”