TransCargo Celebrates 50 Years and 30 Years at Zonamerica

From the boom in Uruguayan exports of non-traditional products, such as clothing and footwear, to importing components for assembling satellites and shipping them to their launch sites. These two extremes, so far apart, mark the journey of TransCargo, a logistics company that recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and has maintained a presence at Zonamerica with its own warehouse for the past three decades.

Rodolfo Faccini, director of TransCargo and son of one of the company’s founders, says that being part of the second generation involves a great deal of commitment. The company currently employs nearly 60 people and serves clients from around the world, offering logistics solutions that cover the entire supply chain, from origin to final destination.

“We are a company that tackles complex problems and strives to be proactive. We don’t wait for the client to tell us what they need; instead, we’re always thinking about what’s best for them and what solution we can offer,” explained Faccini.

As a logistics operator, TransCargo provides transportation and distribution services in various markets. “We offer everything from origin to final destination, including trucking in Europe, rail shipping from Asia to Europe, and all services within and outside Uruguay,” he said.

The company was founded in 1976 by his father, Rodolfo Faccini, and his business partner, Walter Gargiulo, who identified an opportunity related to the needs of Uruguayan exporters of non-traditional products. From that point on, the company entered a period of growth and adaptation to changes in international markets.

“At first, we were freight forwarders who used air freight to ship goods overseas. Other services were gradually added, such as air imports and, little by little, sea freight as well,” Faccini recalled.

In the 1990s, with the development of free trade zones in Uruguay, TransCargo began operations in a small warehouse in Montevideo and gradually expanded its presence to serve international customers and meet their distribution needs in the region.

“We got off to a slow start with Operations , and then we grew as we began serving international customers for distribution in the region. We moved to other warehouses, and for years now we’ve been in our own building in Zonamerica, with our own warehouse,” he said.

As a company that has evolved steadily, Faccini identifies three major milestones in TransCargo’s 50-year history: representing global agents, which allows the company to coordinate shipments from Montevideo to any destination; the launch of Operations in Zonamerica; and, later, the launch of Operations in Miami through a logistics warehouse.

The move to Zonamerica was part of a growth strategy that paid off. The company began operating there more than 30 years ago and was one of the park's first logistics providers.

“We’ve always believed and understood that Zonamerica was a tool that would put us on the map. As TransCargo and as a logistics operator, when we expand abroad, we promote Uruguay as a gateway to the Southern Cone, and that’s a major advantage,” he emphasized.

For Faccini, one of the main strengths lies in the ability to use the free trade zone as a consolidation and distribution hub for international companies. In many cases, companies need to gather products or parts of their production at a single location before distributing them to different markets.

“We offer this option with the benefits of the free trade zone, allowing that foreign client to act as a depositor or indirect user and supply what their customers in other markets need,” he explained.

This model also makes it possible to manage inventory destined for different countries and tailor products to the requirements of each market. “You can purchase the quantity you need, and it also reduces order delivery time,” he noted.

For international companies, having this structure in place also allows them to maintain their presence in the region and reduce their exposure to fluctuations in freight costs.

Growing Together

TransCargo's history is also intertwined with the evolution of Zonamerica. Faccini recalls that when the company began operating there, the park was much smaller in scale, both in terms of the number of companies and the number of people.

“We’ve been here practically since the beginning. When we started working here, there were only a few people and a few companies. Over the years, we’ve seen that evolution and growth. What Zonamerica has achieved, through its directors and the entire team, is impressive,” Faccini noted.

From his perspective, one of the main changes has been the park's ability to attract companies and activities that, years ago, seemed difficult to establish in Uruguay, such as the satellite industry.

More than 30 years after its founding, Faccini believes that Zonamerica continues to play a key role in the development of international business, and that its evolution has kept pace with changes in the country and in global trade.

“It’s a great tool that’s very helpful to customers and the public because it creates well-paying jobs for qualified people and offers the opportunity to work abroad,” he concluded.