The Suit Magazine

When it comes down to shipping and exporting Percy Lall is the man for the job in the Caribbean. Lall launched his own Customs Brokerage firm a half of century ago. And he said it was the best move he ever made. 
When it comes down to shipping and exporting Percy Lall is the man for the job in the Caribbean. Lall launched his own Customs Brokerage firm a half of century ago. And he said it was the best move he ever made.  Not only has it evolved into one of the most successful Customs companies in Trinidad, but it has become “a family affair” as well, letting his love for the business fuse with his own familial legacy.   

Lall and Company, LTD has 35 employees on board efficiently working around the clock.  The firm handles clearance and shipping issues for cargos from different companies receiving imports from a wide range of international suppliers.  They also provide exporting services for individual manufacturers in Trinidad.  The company is strategically located near the major ports in Trinidad, Port of Spain and Point Lisas.  Lall has built a respectable reputation due to his integrity and values.  “We are well established and well respected in the field, especially with the Customs and the shipping companies, with the government departments, and with the banks.  We have the [opportunity] to make people happy by meeting their demands within schedule,” he said.  Lall and Company, LTD has the capabilities to import and export a wide range of goods, and it offers quality service to its clients, including the government of Trinidad.  Lall’s company receives compensation through fees he sets based on these services.  “Any company that imports goods that wants our service, we do all the documentation, clear the goods through Customs, and deliver it to them,” Lall explained.  “And that’s our business, and that’s what we collect.”

Working towards completing tasks on schedule also comes with some challenges.  Time is always a tricky factor in Lall’s business, and uncontrollable delays can cause excess expenses for his company.  “When goods come into the country, there is a limited time in which you have to clear it without penalties, but with the system, with Customs, with government people we have to deal with, there are always some problems that cause delay,” Lall said.  “If we get the documents from the imports in time, and we have any delay because of our faults, we have to pay.”  Because of this constant attention to time, Lall and his staff work night and day, sometimes even during holidays.  Having challenges like these, however, motivates Lall to make sure his company maintains efficiency in their tasks.  Lall’s company is constantly in the public view, and because of this transparency, he has built a trusting relationship with his clients.  Some of these relationships have lasted over 40 years due to the company’s attention to detail.  “That is the biggest [factor]:  meeting [clients’] demands, because everything we do, we depend on the government Department of Customs, the Industry and Trade Department, [and] we have to be in touch with the Food and Drug Department,” he said.  “So when we are importing things we have to have all of the necessary licenses and permits and all of that, and we have to know all these things.”

The global economy has had an effect on Lall’s business, posing many challenges.  Merchants are importing less, and the values of their goods have decreased as well.  Because the company’s income is based on the volume and value of the goods they import and export, they have lost profit.  Lall said the firm is fighting this economic downturn, however, and maintaining sustainability.  “We have been able to maintain our status, and [with] the employees, we’ve never had to settle [with] many employees or cut salaries or anything.  So we were able to manage in spite of the downturn,” Lall said.  He also feels optimistic; with the economy picking up again, he has seen his business pick up as well, and progress is being made.

The process Lall deals with when exporting or importing goods is complicated, and his attention to detail must be precise.  After preparing documentation and getting approval from Customs, they are in constant contact with shipping companies and must prepare the goods exactly the way the client wants; they then have to get the cargo on the ship before it leaves.  The element of time, Lall explains, parallels the type of goods they receive.  Perishable cargo, like fruits and vegetables, has to be picked and shipped within 24 hours.  Most ships wait about two days until they set sail, so the non-perishable goods have to be aboard within that time frame.  Lall said that another important factor in his business is being in good financial standing with the banks.  “Some shippers from abroad will ship [cargo] here on their letter of credit, which means we have to go to the bank when we are ready to get documents passed and so on, to get a release from the bank to go [ahead] with the cargo,” he said.  “So we have to keep a good [relationship] with the banks and the shipping companies, and we have that.”

Lall has a huge advantage over other companies:  his wealth of knowledge and experience in the business.  Lall has trained many workers throughout his years in the industry, workers who are now operating on their own.  “I started this business in 1956. It was one-man operation, and then I started to expand my business, and as we expanded we took on more people, and today I have all of my family in it”, he said.  Lall also told us that his two sons are Customs Brokers and two of his daughters and three grandchildren work for him as well.  He feels his understanding and passion for the Customs industry is something he wants to become a part of his family’s future.  “The most satisfying thing is having trained my own family to work in the business and [make] a good life out of it, and [they] have earned the respect of all the different government departments that we have to deal with,” he said proudly.

At the root of Percy Lall’s success is his belief in the importance of family.  In fact, family is a core value instilled in all of his workers.  He said, “We have a very good relationship among our workers.  Even the workers that are not [actual family] get the feeling of family.  So we call ourselves one family.”

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