19 part 2: Delivering e-Com Packages Smarter to Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico
In Part 2 of this series, our co-hosts continue their conversation with Chas Gorham, Vice President, Sales of International Bridge and Tom Foley, Vice President Government Affairs & Client Retention of Asendia USA. They discuss how shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico is treated as domestic—eliminating cross-border compliance hurdles—and how International Bridge achieves consistent 2–4 day delivery times.
This partnership helps retailers expand into overlooked markets, reduce costs, and improve customer experience in these high-potential regions.
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Chas Gorham | LinkedIn
Chas Gorham is the Vice President of Sales at International Bridge, where he leads strategic business development and customer acquisition initiatives across the company’s global logistics network. With a deep background in e-commerce, international parcel delivery, and supply chain optimization, Chas plays a pivotal role in helping retailers and logistics partners expand their cross-border reach through innovative and cost-effective shipping solutions.
Over his career, Chas has earned a reputation for building strong, collaborative partnerships that drive measurable growth and operational excellence. His leadership combines analytical insight with a customer-first approach, aligning International Bridge’s capabilities with the evolving needs of online retailers, marketplace sellers, and fulfillment providers.
In his role, Chas oversees enterprise sales strategy, market expansion efforts, and the development of tailored logistics programs that simplify international delivery for U.S.-based merchants. His ability to translate complex logistics challenges into practical, results-driven solutions has made him a trusted advisor to some of the most recognizable brands in global e-commerce.
Tom Foley | LinkedIn
Tom Foley is the Vice President, Government Affairs & Client Retention for Asendia USA. Tom spent 28 years with the US Postal Service where he spent most of that time involved with international business and the last 9 years at Postal Headquarters in Washington DC. Tom managed many different functions including International Sales, Global Product Management, and international Wholesale account management. Tom started his postal career as a letter carrier in his hometown on Long Island NY.
Immediately after retirement, Tom joined Globegistics (now part of Asendia USA) where he managed all postal and government relations, contracts, and postal export compliance. Tom has a similar role with Asendia USA but has recently expanded to now include managing the relationships with our wholesale accounts.
Tom is a US Coast Guard veteran and a graduate of Stockton University. He also attended Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, studying international business.
Tom is considered one of the leading experts in international postal procedures and regulations. He is very active in Postal and Government organizations. He is the Chairman of the International Mailers Advisory Group (IMAG) for the past 5 years and is also on the Board of Directors for the Parcel Shippers Association. Tom also regularly attends State Department open meetings as well as the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee meetings.
Out of the office, Tom enjoys spending his time with his wife and three children, all of whom are either out of college or just starting college. Tom plays golf, swims, and is an avid sports fan.
Transcript
To say at least 90% of our customer base also has shipments domestically going to Alaska, Hawaii, and Pacific time without a deal. And I think that's what we. Why it's, it's a really good solution that we brought to the table.
Voiceover:This is Outside the Box with Asendia USA, a podcast educating US based brands, marketplaces and e tailers on international shipping topics and how they can expand their global e commerce footprint.
Nick Agnetti:Back to another episode of Outside the Box with Asendia USA podcast where we continue the conversation where we left off last week.
Tom Foley:Well, that's why it's working very, very well for us at Asendia and our clients.
Nick Agnetti:Are there compliance things with this that maybe we need to talk about?
Tom Foley:Domestic.
Jason Rowland:Yeah, it's domestic compliance.
Tom Foley:And in today's world that's going on with the de minimis and with the tariffs and everything, this is kind of, it's neutral to all that. It's not affected by any of that.
So I think the postal channel is not being affected like it is internationally because right now with international inbound coming into the US PS through the postal channels, that's basically been completely cut off. That does not affect the non continental at all.
Jason Rowland:Yeah, no, it's standard TSA regulations that we would follow in order to screen things and Asendia screens them in our facilities and moves them domestically. And we have just as much capability to move those materials on domestic flights as we do on international.
Chas Gorham:So.
Nick Agnetti:Yeah, so customers that may be interested in this, they don't necessarily need to have, let's say their catalog, you know, harmonized codes and things like that are not necessarily a. They're not at all, they're not a requirement.
Chas Gorham:It's a considered all three are domestic moves.
Nick Agnetti:Yes, perfect.
Chas Gorham:And the interesting thing one of FedEx, if you ship to Puerto Rico, you need a customs declaration.
Tom Foley:Correct.
Chas Gorham:It's considered a international shipment.
Tom Foley:It's going over international orders.
Nick Agnetti:Another big hot nugget right there for all you watchers. FedEx Puerto Rico considered an international to.
Tom Foley:Go to Puerto Rico because the planes go over international borders. That's the reason why it falls into that category.
So from our perspective, the key for us when we were rolling this program out and wanting to really build it was to have a really good partner, which is what we have. And the transits have shown it.
And one of the things that's really we get from our partner is that we get weekly, almost weekly transit reports for every one of those destinations, mainland and also the outer islands. So we get really good transit reports that our Sales team could share with their, you know, for their prospects. And it really, really helps.
I mean it's all about the transits.
Nick Agnetti:Jaz, what, what, what kind of transit times to it? Can you. I don't know if you asked me.
Chas Gorham:Regionally or what but so typically once, once we get the freight, Cincinnati or la, that's what we sort it. Okay. Out of the majority now we're hitting two to four day transit, two to.
Nick Agnetti:Four day to the door or two to four day to the country or to the door to the state.
Chas Gorham:Fly every day. It gets there same day or overnight. So these flights are going every day. So the transit times are phenomenal.
Tom Foley:Is it a.
Jason Rowland:Is it an access to a domestic.
Nick Agnetti:Carrier that you use or is it.
Chas Gorham:So we have our own air cargo division.
Jason Rowland:Okay.
Chas Gorham:And they've had the relationship with the airlines, whether it's private or commercial over the years. And because we're going to these areas, we have freight every single day. Love it.
So we were able to leverage that to a good partnership with the airlines.
Jason Rowland:And good rates and Sorry, would they do all the screening for you? You guys screen yourselves or.
Chas Gorham:Yeah, it goes, I mean everything because all the customers with TSA certified.
Nick Agnetti:Sure.
Chas Gorham:So everything that goes through, it's good to go.
Jason Rowland:That's the airline screens it for you.
Tom Foley:Swelling commercial air, right? Yeah, yeah.
So International Bridge gets it as deep into the network in Puerto Rico and even Alaska and Hawaii as far as they possibly can, which is what helps the transits.
Nick Agnetti:So for one of our clients and for everybody watching, listening. So we have five processing facilities here in the United States. We've got jfk, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles.
So would it be east of the Mississippi is going to. Would be processed out of Cincinnati and west would be going to la?
Tom Foley:Yes, I would say yes. Only reason we're hesitating is that we don't have Miami up and running yet because we, we have Philadelphia, New York.
All that is processed and goes directly to. Where are we sending to New York. Is it going to. I believe it's going to Cincinnati. Same with Chicago. Going down to Cincinnati, la.
We bring it right to their facility. It's like a handle right to their facility. And so that. That's pretty much how it works.
Chas Gorham:Yeah, that's one, one area that, that because we have a relationship with airlines, if we have some good density in a another region where we're not sorting out, we can stand it up pretty quickly because we know what the minimums we need to fly out. So you know, if a 70 year IV has prospects. We can keep the freight in that region.
Nick Agnetti:Okay. And you know, I know that I want to be mindful of your time too and thank you for being so generous. So maybe wrap it up in a few minutes here.
But I'm thinking in those markets are there certain product categories that are kind of hot, hot items or you know.
Chas Gorham:I think any type of E Comm. That's for the most part £10 and under. Right, so £10 and under.
Tom Foley:Yeah.
Nick Agnetti:Okay.
Chas Gorham:Obviously your apparel, no shoes, accessories, even supplements, you know, all the kind of hot topics that, that you know, people are ordering but you know, on the smaller side.
Nick Agnetti:And because it's going to a US territory or state, then there's no restrictions like there would be going cross border.
Chas Gorham:Exactly.
Nick Agnetti:Beautiful. Love it.
Tom Foley:And I would say from our perspective, at least 90% of our customer base because we're an international consolidator. Yes, I would say at least 90% of our customer base also has shipments domestically going to Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Without a doubt.
And I think that's why it's a really good solution that we brought to the table. And like I said, it's working out really well and I think it's just going to grow.
Chas Gorham:Yeah.
Jason Rowland:And I think it's just because of what it takes logistically to get into these countries is what makes companies like Asendia and an International Bridge kind of special in that market. Because we have that experience from moving things across borders, moving them across the world where the domestic carriers don't really.
Chas Gorham:Have a lot of that experience.
Jason Rowland:So it really is an opportunity for companies like us to shine and kind of say, look, look at how quickly we can get this. It's a large movement all across water and that takes that specific experience that companies like us have to get done efficiently big time.
Nick Agnetti:So if we're an e-commerce shipper, 3PL even, and we're doing volume, let's say using could be many carriers going to Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii. This is a solution that'll help transition some of the infrequent or variable transit times.
More consistency in pricing, transit times and delivery experience for those recipients located in those areas.
Chas Gorham:Absolutely.
Tom Foley:And I personally and I think that the, you know, the buyers now that are in Puerto Rico, Alaska, and Hawaii, instead of ordering now from an international website because of everything that's going on with the tariffs, I think they're going to be looking more to buying stuff from a US to avoid all that.
Chas Gorham:That's true.
Tom Foley:And that's going to be driving this volume for last year, Puerto Rico, big time.
Nick Agnetti:Chaz, is there anything else you might want to share before we cap it off here?
Chas Gorham:Yeah, I think just one more great example of this service.
We just turned on a very large national retailer who stopped doing Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico years ago because they were using one of the big two and it just became too expensive. It wasn't cost effective. They turned those channels off.
When we went to them, they said, wow, with this transit time and with these rates, we can add those three areas back into our online ordering. And they just added Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico. And this was a, you know, multibillion dollar retailer.
Nick Agnetti:What do they estimate that's going to bring in revenue wise in a 12 month calendar year?
Chas Gorham:You know, they're kind of wait and see approach, but based on what they were doing prior, they think it's going to be pretty significant. Love it.
Jason Rowland:And anything's bigger than zero.
Chas Gorham:Yeah. And at the end of the day, they, most of our shippers, if we look at their data, 1 to 3% of their volume typically goes to these areas.
So even if they just added 1%, you know, that's sales that they didn't have the last five years.
Tom Foley:Yeah. Love it. Sure.
Chas Gorham:Yeah.
Nick Agnetti:Profitable too.
Tom Foley:Yeah.
Nick Agnetti:All right, very good. Hey Chess, thank you so much for joining.
Chas Gorham:Thank you.
Nick Agnetti:Pleasure having you, Tom.
Tom Foley:Thank you. Thanks for having us, Tom.
Jason Rowland:Thanks as always. Great to see you.
Tom Foley:Very good.
Nick Agnetti:All right, guys, that's it for this episode of Outside the Box with the Sendia USA podcast. Thanks so much for listening and watching.
Voiceover:Share, subscribe and download our podcast to learn more about today's topic or for a free consultation, email us@ecommerce USAendia.com Come back for more insightful discussions on e commerce shipping to Canada, Mexico and worldwide.
