Charles Abrams Email & Phone Number

Alpharetta, Ga

Alpharetta, Ga

• Responsible for a team of six (6) logistics employees who coordinate the movement of material on a worldwide basis.• Manage a total transportation spend of approximately $20 million annually.• Provide logistics direction to multiple shipping locations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico which includes carrier selection, import/export compliance, routing optimization, and carrier payment.• Implemented cost avoidance opportunities by reducing carrier base, negotiating favorable discounts, and creating consolidation opportunities. • Reduced duty payments for imports into Canada by utilizing a duty preference program involving shipments from specific European countries.• Manage duty drawback effort which has resulted in the recovery of duty payments in excess of $250,000.• Assigned to SAP implementation team responsible for trade compliance and transportation management.• Support deliveries for customer facing organizations such as sales and customer service in addition to providing logistics direction to internal organizations such as Shipping, Receiving, and Production.• Increased use of shipment visibility tools through introduction of new suppliers and user education.• Responsible for direct management of freight payment and transportation providers.• Certified in handling of hazardous material handling for IMDG, IATA, and 49 CFR.

Manage a department of eleven (11) Traffic professionals with a total spend of $27 million annually.Responsible for ensuring worldwide compliance with import / export regulations which requires a thorough understanding of Customs import / export law.Interface with internal organizations such as Global Sustainment and Supply Chain Management (Procurement) to ensure the timely delivery of parts to customers and the production lines.Work to control shipping costs by optimizing shipment routings. This can be accomplished by utilizing tools such as validating appropriate priority levels are selected and by consolidating shipments when appropriate.Provide daily interface to the customer in the Traffic / Shipping area to confirm government shipments are submitted for review and routed in accordance with US law.Maintain oversight of the freight payment process so carriers are paid within contract terms. Also work to maintain compliance with internal charging instructions provided by Finance in accordance with the Financial Disclosure Statement with the government.Interface with transportation / 3PL providers and internal customers such as Receiving and Shipping to align service expectations to supplier performance.Work with a union hourly workforce and ensure work rules are enforced in accordance with the labor contract.Led effort to implement Oracle Transportation Management (OTM) system to enhance carrier and mode selection for the inbound and outbound supply chain.Provide direction to ensure the corporate transportation contract agreements are supported and followed.Responsible for working as site lead on SAP Global Trade Services (GTS) software implementation team.OneAero Delivery and Traffic Team Member

Created Internal Control Plan for Traffic, Procurement, Customer Support, and Manufacturing organizations with input from internal and outside counsel.Maintain HTS and Schedule B tariff databases to ensure consistent use of tariff numbers on import and export documentation.Monitor export activity to ensure compliance with Commerce and Department of State export regulations.Led an internal team responsible for ensuring acceptance into the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Importer Self-Assessment (ISA) program for the Marietta site. Responsibilities have included creation of an Import Compliance Manual, creation of cross-functional teams to increase compliance participation and awareness throughout the company. Worked C-TPAT Mock Validation exercises at various company locations worldwide to prepare for domestic and international site validations by CBP.Successfully achieved top tier C-TPAT validation from CBP.Certified Green Belt responsible for identifying and working projects within the company using lean business practices to generate cost savings.Involved in implementation of carrier routing optimization processes which include geographic lane alignment and expedite requirements.Worked Kaizen events as a trained Green Belt. Events have included reducing shipment preparation time of returnable engine dollies, streamlining production techniques in an aircraft modernization effort, and working to optimize production layout.Received Lockheed Martin Customs Council service award for work as chair and member of the Corporate Customs Council to elevate the awareness of International Trade compliance throughout the company.

Work included efforts to establish a Customs Council to ensure compliance throughout Delta by increasing communication regarding Customs law and by increasing awareness of compliance at upper management levels.Compliance efforts included recommendation and execution of a compliance review by external counsel, working to establish written import/export customs procedures and conducting training sessions.Increased the proper use of duty preference programs such as NAFTA and duty drawback.Responsible for supplier relations, contract negotiations, interdepartmental coordination and international shipping compliance of $100 million transportation buy that involved all modes of transportation.Changed the existing practice of assigning all freight expenditures to one department to establishing a process for assigning freight expenditures to the organizations responsible for creating the charge. This created greater transportation visibility and control as well as ensuring transportation costs were included in future department budgets.Oversaw third party freight payment process to ensure timely and accurate payment to carriers. Also established a post audit process, at no additional cost to Delta, of the freight payment company to ensure freight invoices were audited and paid in accordance with contract terms and conditions.Savings in excess of thirty percent were realized as a result of changes instituted by the Transportation department through more effectively negotiated contracts, tighter control over the freight payment process and smarter shipping decisions realized through numerous training sessions.

Worked as a Licensed Customs Broker to ensure Customs compliance for the importation of overseas material, while ensuring parts arrive on time so the aircraft production schedule is maintained on-schedule.Involved with implementing a duty drawback program to receive duty reimbursement on eligible international trade activity.Worked closely with the GE / Lockheed Martin transportation council negotiating pricing and contracts agreements at the corporate level with carriers across multiple modes, with an emphasis on International Air Freight and small package domestic.Responsible for ensuring carriers were paid in a timely manner through oversight of the freight payment center. Oversight included audits of the freight payment process included audits for the local site as well as the Corporate Traffic Manager.Served as co-chair on the Corporate Customs Council that involved coordinating creation of an internal Corporate Import Compliance Manual to assist the company in anticipating and addressing Customs issues prior to them becoming a problem.Trained Buyers, Receiving, Shipping and various other personnel, including outside contractors, on proper Import and Export Compliance practices.

Supervised thirteen employees on two shifts whose duties included Customer Service, Payroll, Accounts Receivable and Data Entry.Responsible for hiring, firing and training of office employees.Interfaced with customers on various issues both in person and over the phone.

Supervised approximately ten Customer Service Agents in the New England Distribution Center.Responsible for resolving customer issues that had been elevated to the supervisor level.