Ramps Logistics: Business Technology champion 2020

The recent Champions of Business awards programme, hosted each year by the TT Chamber, recognises outstanding achievement in the sphere of business in four categories. With the onset of the covid19 pandemic this year, the finale was a televised broadcast on November 20, which was also streamed live. When it first started in 2005, a single category of Business Hall of Fame was introduced. Over the years, other categories were added, including Entrepreneurship, Business Technology and the Internationally Known...T&T Owned Company of the Year.

The Internationally Known...T&T Owned category, sponsored by Eximbank, recognises a company for its achievements in taking incredible steps to move their business from a local operation to an International player. This year, Ramps Logistics Ltd was named company of the year in this category.

Ramps is one of the region’s leading logistics providers. Formed in 20 years ago by Ramnarine Rampersad as a customs brokerage provider, the company employed just one person. Rampersad summed it up this way: “I started this business in our house as a small customs brokerage firm in 1985. Back then I was chief cook, captain and bottle washer.” By 2003, with an increased employee base of 12, it began offering freight forwarding services, partnering with major shipping lines to bring cargo to and from Trinidad.

In 2013, now providing these services to several large downstream energy companies locally, Ramps made a major decision to expand within the region. Guyana was identified due to its growth potential for trade and logistics. At that time Guyana’s energy sector had not yet been identified, but being in Guyana worked positively for Ramps when they secured a contract for logistics and shore base management with ExxonMobil, which was preparing for exploratory drilling – a project that proved to be hugely successful.

Subsequently, the company won a tender to provide integrated logistics to ExxonMobil, going up against international providers who typically would subcontract after securing a tender. The track record then spoke for itself, and Ramps can boast of having captured contracts from other major energy giants such as Schlumberger and Halliburton, among others. In 2017, having entered the Suriname market, it secured a contract from Tullow that was 90 per cent in Trinidad and 10 per cent in Suriname for an offshore well in Suriname. Ramps Logistics also has operations in Mexico and recently opened an office in Colombia.

Beyond business, Ramps is proud of its corporate social responsibility track record. A short listing of these include an annual community children's Christmas treat, an annual cricket camp targeting less advantaged children and youth empowerment groups, flood relief efforts, working with the Felicity/Charlieville Rotary Club on wheelchair distribution and a Trash Tag Challenge to execute a cleanup project on Chacachacare island, from which the team collected 1,100 pounds of garbage.

Today Ramps remains a 100 per cent family-owned and directed company with Rampersad Ramnarine as CEO. His sons Shaun and Rudy serve as COO and operations director respectively, with wife Betty and another son, Robbie on its board of directors. Having demonstrated its leadership to become an established regional operator, Ramps has set its sights on expanding global reach and given their careful strategic planning, success is sure to follow for this home-grown company.

“I accept this award knowing that the future is bright; knowing that while there will always be obstacles in progress – we see opportunities in adversities – which can never stop a bunch of bright, dedicated and smart people from accomplishing great things....We hope to use this recognition to strengthen Trinidad and Tobago’s position on a global scale.”

The TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce congratulates Ramps Logistics upon receiving the award for 2020 for internationally Known...T&T Owned Company of the Year.