An ICAT Logistics Case Study Unique Freight is Our Special-Tea
ICAT is contacted by a well-known fine tea company with a unique request to ship over 20,000 tea bags overseas for a major international event—the Royal Coronation of King Charles.
One Call
The ICAT Logistics network handles hundreds of international and domestic shipments each and every day. There are times where a very unique scenario is presented to our team that requires a high-level of communication and attention to detail.
A well-known fine tea company reached out to the ICAT team with a significant request to ship special tea bags overseas for a major event—the Royal Coronation of King Charles.
Right Solution
The customer needed 22,800 Darjeeling tea bags in 760 specially designed Coronation Tea tins transported from New York to the Hampton Court Palace in Surrey, United Kingdom, in less than three weeks. Due to their current forwarder being unresponsive, the tea company looked to ICAT to deliver a completely different experience.
To add to the already-mounding pressure of handling such a time-sensitive and important shipment, the client was also in the process of waiting for an Organic Certification and Accreditation from the USDA, which only made time for one ocean vessel departing to London from New York that would successfully make the window of delivery.
The customer had a preference to have the tea moved via ocean, but due to vessel cancellations going to the Port of London, the ICAT team made sure to put a backup plan into place that would move the freight via air if timing or blank sailings became an issue.
Done!
The certification for the tea was received shortly after the customer reached out to ICAT. Once that was received, the freight was loaded onto the next available vessel and was scheduled to deliver 48 hours in advance to the Royal Court. Our agent overseas quickly collected the shipment once it arrived and successfully delivered it on May 2nd—four days before the event commenced.
In addition to the early delivery, the customer also greatly appreciated the communication, updates, and cost-savings the ICAT team provided. Before switching vendors, the client’s previous freight forwarder was adamant they move the tea via air to avoid delays when ocean transport could have been utilized.
From this shipment, ICAT gained a permanent customer with them noting that service is much more important than price, especially when it comes to working with an honest company and ensuring on time deliveries.
