Since its founding by company President Frank Ramos in 2001, The Perishable Specialist has enjoyed consistent growth, as well as an ever-growing reputation as a leading customs brokerage firm.

The company was approved as a Remote Location Filer in 2007 by U.S. Customs & Border Protection. In 2004, it was certified as a member of Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, and in 2006 it was validated by C-TPAT.Ana and Frank Ramos

Ramos works with his wife, Ana Ramos, in managing the major responsibilities of clearing imported produce, assuring proper cold storage protocol and working with logistics operations for the customs brokerage firm. It is licensed as a customs broker specializing in perishables.

The company handles every fresh produce item that is shipped into the United States from Chile every year.

The Chilean blueberries had “a great season with nice volumes,” said Frank Ramos. “All blueberries we cleared in south Florida entered through Port Everglades.”

Although its headquarters is in Doral, a section of Miami, it is a remote location filer.

“We are able to clear cargo at all ports of the United States,” explained Ramos. “Although our expertise is at Miami International Airport, where we clear perishable air arrivals from all over the world, we also clear containerized ocean cargo at the port of Miami and Port Everglades, as well as in Philadelphia, Newark, Wilmington, Houston, Long Beach and other ports of entry in the country.”

Ramos said that the company represents all the major players in the produce industry.

“We have strong relationships with customers that import fresh fruits and vegetables from Argentina, Chile, Guatemala and Peru,” he said. “We strive to visit all of our exporting countries prior to the forthcoming seasons in order to gain a better understanding of the importers’ and exporters’ needs. Today, we continue to grow and further our involvement and contacts in the perishables industry.”

The Perishable Specialist has outstanding relationships with all government agencies that play a role in proper import procedures, including Customs & Border Protection, Agriculture Quarantine Inspection, a department within CBP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food & Drug Administration.

“Just last week we participated in a meeting with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC, regarding the newly implemented AQI treatment fee, which went into effect on December 28, 2015,” explained Ramos.

“The Perishable Specialist, Inc. is turning 15 years old this year and we couldn’t be more proud and appreciative to all our customers,” he continued. “We are who we are because of the loyalty, growth and commitment we receive every day from those we work with every day.”