Operating as a Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC), and specializing in furniture imports from Asia to North Carolina, SEACORP began experiencing the difficulties and delays COVID-19 has inflicted on our industry in February 2020. The Lunar New Year was extended to stop the spread of COVID-19, terminals were not operating, ocean carriers were not accepting new bookings, vessels omitted several ports due to port closures, and factories stopped manufacturing due to lockdown. Time stood still for weeks. On March 12, 2020, the SEACORP Management Team sat together in our conference room and discussed the importance of sending everyone home to protect our staff and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. I will never forget the feeling of fear and uncertainty of what the future would hold as I sat in the conference room with our team that day.

In June 2017, a major ocean carrier fell victim to a cyber-attack that affected our industry for months. After working with this carrier through the cyber-attack, SEACORP learned the importance of having a crisis recovery plan and being ready to act quickly in the event of crisis at our company. During this time, SEACORP transitioned to a fully web-based system and decided to go paperless in an industry that is heavily reliant on paper and original documents. Thanks to this transition in 2017, SEACORP went home on Friday, March 12, 2020 and business continued as usual the following Monday. SEACORP staff continues to successfully work from home, but thanks to vaccinations, we now have the option to work in our office again.

At first working remotely, SEACORP had daily Zoom calls to stay connected with our team. Within the first few weeks, the SEACORP team sent pictures of their new co-workers, children or pets, then we all sent pictures of our home work stations. In efforts to stay connected with clients and partners, SEACORP sent picture messages of our team to lift spirits. We posted on social media to introduce ourselves in a “Meet the SEACORP Staff” series. We encouraged team members to pick up the phone and call customers and other colleagues as much as possible. As our industry has evolved during the pandemic, more technology has been utilized, which has pushed our industry to become less interactive and to lose a human connection. Our industry is a people industry and relationships are important. The move to home was challenging and SEACORP has worked hard to maintain our company culture. SEACORP strives to be The Carrier that Cares. Our people truly care about each other, our clients, and our business partners. I am confident that initiatives started during the pandemic will continue to grow and make us stronger.