AWA Opens Houston Office

American Worldwide Agencies (AWA) is adding to its global network of freight forwarders and agents with a new office in Houston, the company announced today. The Houston office is part of AWA's global expansion plans and will handle the company's growing business in the region for project freight, oil and gas, breakbulk and containerized cargo moves.

"Houston is the number one U.S. port in foreign tonnage and is the largest Gulf Coast container port," says Andrew Scott, AWA's CEO. "It also is in major growth mode, with both imports and exports on the rise. Strategically, we need to be there." Scott says the new office and its experienced team will enable AWA's customers in the region "to move their cargo quickly and smoothly."

"We take a team approach to handling cargo and we have many vendors in the region who are experts at managing containerized, ocean, air, oil & gas and oversized shipments," says Scott. "Our staff on the ground ensures that everything is packed perfectly and is ready for receiving and shipping, which benefits our customers, including overseas agents."

Reagan Jones has been tapped to head the new office. In that position, he is responsible for the development of project and breakbulk business in the Southern States as well as vendor procurement and ocean and air sales. Prior to joining AWA, Jones worked in management and sales for Chapman Freeborn Air Chartering and Starlight Airline US. Earlier, as district manager for Phoenix International, a US-based forwarder and NVOCC, Jones managed imports and exports moving by both air and ocean in the US-Asia trade lanes and coordinated global movements of project and oil & gas cargoes. His experience also includes service as a Houston-based district manager for Lynden International and as division manager of domestic operations and manger of operations services for DHL Danzas.

"Reagan has an extensive forwarding background and his air and sea experience is a huge asset to AWA," says Scott. "We expect continued growth in 2014 of our project and oversized cargo business and our Houston office will play a central role in supporting this growth and rapidly delivering our customers' cargoes, whether by land, ocean or air."