A pair of businesses in South Surrey were among more than a dozen highlighted last Friday, during the Surrey Board of Trade’s annual whirlwind effort to showcase innovative organizations.
Travelling on a trio of themed buses – Prince, reggae and ’80s – tour participants were introduced to some of the city’s “hidden jewels,” SBOT president Anita Huberman said.
“We try to make it fun, but the whole purpose of the tour is to really showcase the innovative business in our city.”
Businesses in Cloverdale, Campbell Heights and City Central were all on the tour – from HealthTech Connex and Central City Brewing Company to Prabu Foods, Endurance Wind Power and Columbia Plastics, Ltd.
In South Surrey, Pacific Customs Brokers Ltd. welcomed around two dozen SBOT members to its 1 Avenue complex near the truck border, walking the group through its Highway Sufferance Warehouse, Overseas Freight Forwarding and brokerage components.
Senior trade advisor Jan Brock – retired chief of commercial operations for Canada Border Services Agency – told Peace Arch News the “Type B” sufferance warehouse is unusual for the area. Used for short-term storage and examination of imported goods not yet released by CBSA, most are located inland, she said.
“It’s probably the only B sufferance warehouse across the street” from a port, Brock said, noting the next closest is in Burnaby.
“It’s an extension of the office across the street.”
Border services officers have the same authority on the property as they do at the border, she added.
On the brokerage side, operations manager Cherie Storms explained how the business offers everything from compliance consulting to help with goods declarations and making sure duties are paid.
Asked by one participant how a port strike might impact business, Storms described it as “a big problem.”
“We’re the first ones that our clients phone,” she said.
“Ultimately, when something doesn’t go right at the border, we are the ones to face the music.”
PCB marketing co-ordinator Lisa Stevenson described the May 6 industry tour as something the company didn’t hesitate to get involved with.
“A lot of people don’t know what we do,” Stevenson said, noting the role such operations play is larger than most people realize.
“They play a significant role in the supply chain,” she explained. “Basically, everything you see on store shelves has been through a supply chain.”
Huberman told PAN she encouraged all bus participants to “really spread the word” about what they saw. The industries highlighted in the seventh annual tour were all tied to the provincial government’s BC Jobs Plan, she added.