Member Spotlight

KING CITY NORTHWAY FORWARDING LTD

King City Northway Forwarding LTD:

RISING ABOVE SUPPLY CHAIN CHALLENGES

King City Northway Forwarding LTD. was established in 1977 and has been in business for over 40 years as a domestic and international freight forwarding company. It all began thanks to their business being situated in a prime location near the railroad tracks and close to the port of Montreal, Canada.

King City has come a long way since then. What started as a container loading service (when the containerization concept was introduced to the lumber industry) has grown into a full-service freight forwarding company that handles everything from the door of the sawmill to the door of the destination overseas, including the documents for the steamship to Phyto inspections, customs filing, rail transport, and beyond. Peter Lovett, the Vice President at King City Northway Forwarding, LTD, says, “Our clients put in a lot of hard work into producing their lumber. We want them to focus on that, and we’ll handle the shipping. That’s why our motto is ‘You Saw it, we Ship it.’ We help our clients mitigate any risk through the transaction and make sure everything goes smoothly until the very end.”

The big COVID issue as of late is labor shortages that have affected supply chain distribution, which is hitting the industry hard right now. The Great Resignation (people retiring early or switching jobs) has also impacted every business that handles shipping and logistics. Peter continues, “Long before COVID, we were very flexible in allowing our employees the choice to work from home. We are fortunate enough that our role in the shipping industry is translatable

". . . We’re small enough to provide personalized service, but at the same time, we’re big enough to go out and make things happen. I think it’s our customized touch that sets us apart.” — Peter Lovett

to a remote work environment. So, when COVID came along, we were ready and reacted very quickly.”

“As COVID and its consequences slogged through the past two years, we saw a slow deterioration in the workforce. Port terminals had limited workers, causing ships to wait weeks to be let into ports and unloaded. We had to work twice as hard to get one thing completed. Things that used to take one phone call or email now took three or four. It felt like we were talking to a void. But that is why our clients hire us. We push hard and go the extra mile. We manage all the risks involved with the whole transaction. We go to bat for our clients.”

Peter has a clear vision of what sets King City apart, saying, “I think we are very different than our competition in that we are a small family business. Small enough to build a rapport and relationship with our clients to give them extra care. We’re small enough to provide personalized service, but at the same time, we’re big enough to go out and make things happen. I think it’s our customized touch that sets us apart.”

King City has been an NHLA member for 37-years, and Peter is proud of it, claiming, “My favorite thing about being a member of NHLA is the level of organization the Association has. I never worry about how NHLA events will go because the people there are very competent and dedicated. NHLA brings everyone together and starts important conversations. Especially at the Conventions. The services they provide are among the best I’ve seen. It’s easy to be a member because NHLA takes care of so much of the work. I’m just happy to be part of it.” The future is coming fast, and King City is ready for it. “I expect to see the shipping bottleneck fade away, like any other bump in the road. The industry will transform. It’s important to understand that things change, and we must adapt quickly. There’s a saying; ‘adapt or die.’ That really sticks with me. You can’t do the same thing you did yesterday and expect to be in business tomorrow. You must change and move on. In 10 years, I see the shipping industry moving into an increasingly digital world. There will be new and different technologies, and it will be interesting to see how we change. I believe those that embrace the change will be the most successful in the future.”

Reach out to King City at: Website: https://kingcitynorthway.com Email: info@kingcitynorthway.com

Call (USA): 1-855-682-1637 Call (Canada): 1-800-335-5394

On Facebook: @KingCityLTD On LinkedIn: @king-city-northway-forwarding On Instagram: @ kingcitynorthway