Turning Customs Complexity into Operational Clarity
The Challenge
De Girolami Ltd is a European furniture transportation company requiring a comprehensive customs brokerage solution following the regulatory changes brought on by Brexit. Without an internal forwarding system or customs staff, De Girolami’s team sought a trusted logistics partner to take over this critical function and reduce cross-border disruption.
Key challenges included:
- High volume weekly shipments requiring individual customs clearance
- No in-house forwarding software or trained customs staff
- Lack of infrastructure to issue invoices and customs documentation
- Potential vehicle delays, leading to extra costs
De Girolami needed a complete, outsourced customs solution that would streamline compliance, reduce delays, and offload administrative burden from their core operations.
The Solution
Ecosphere Global Logistics provided De Girolami with a dedicated customs brokerage team, handling all customs entries and documentation in strict timeframes. Key elements included:
- Full-service customs management tailored to De Girolami’s operational needs
- A hosted computer system for customs transactions and client portal access
- Ecosphere’s team took over the handling of invoices and customs-related charges
- Seamless integration of logistics expertise, IT infrastructure, and administrative support
This allowed De Girolami to focus fully on their core business—transporting high-end furniture across Europe—while Ecosphere handled the complexities of post-Brexit customs compliance.
The Results
The impact of the partnership has been significant:
- Complete removal of customs administration burden from De Girolami’s internal team
- Avoided costly border delays and enhanced reliability for end clients
- Opened a new revenue stream by allowing De Girolami to offer customs services to their customers
- Annual additional revenue of £250,000 generated through customs transactions
Looking Ahead
With Ecosphere as their logistics partner, De Girolami has successfully adapted to the post-Brexit landscape. They’ve not only mitigated risk but also transformed a regulatory challenge into a business growth opportunity.
