By George Lauriat, Editor-in-Chief, AJOT
AJOT: How did you get the idea to start Zepol?
Rasmussen: Jeff Wilson, Chief Architect, and I met in college while studying international business. We had a vision to start a company that would make it faster and easier for organizations to research and analyze international trade. At that time, international trade was up-and-coming and there was a growing need for this type of service. As technology advanced, we collaborated several years later to make this idea a reality, thus, Zepol was created.
AJOT: How long have you been in the business?
Rasmussen: We started Zepol in 2002 after years of refining our vision. In 2003, we started collecting U.S. Customs data and continued to develop our technology infrastructure. Our flagship product, TradeIQ', was launched in 2004. Our business has continued to evolve since then. We constantly strive to expand and enhance our products to be the leading trade intelligence provider.
AJOT: What are your products?
Rasmussen: As I mentioned, our flagship product is TradeIQ', which is a U.S. Customs database that allows users to search detailed ocean-borne Bill of Lading information. Our other product, TradeView', provides U.S. Census Bureau trade information on all modes of U.S. imports and exports. In the very near future we will be launching another product that will significantly transform how companies monitor other aspects of international trade.
AJOT: Who is your customer base and how has it changed over the years?
Rasmussen: Approximately one third of our customers are transportation companies, including port authorities, NVOCCs, customs brokers, trucking companies, terminal operators, etc. The other two thirds are mostly direct importers and distributors. We serve a wide range of import industries, such as chemical, industrial, consumer goods, and food and beverage. Additionally, our customers range from Fortune 500 to small-to-medium in size. Our customer base has also grown to reach industries such as legal and consulting, market researchers, and the education sector.
AJOT: What's the difference between data and information?
Rasmussen: To me, data is numbers and statistics; however, information is what we are able to harness through looking at and analyzing the data. Simply put, we take raw data and turn it into actionable information. Our trade data tools don't merely provide U.S. Customs and Census data; they allow users to make more informed day-to-day business decisions - thus benefitting the bottom line.
AJOT: How can today's trade professionals benefit from Zepol's products?
Rasmussen: Our products have a large range of uses and benefits for our users around the world. They utilize TradeIQ' and TradeView' to drive revenue by generating sales leads, reduce cost and risk by sourcing new suppliers, and better understand their markets by monitoring competitors' trade activity. Zepol users realize significant gains to their individual businesses by being able to see what products are imported, from whom and where, and how often.
AJOT: Can you give a real-world example of an organization that has profited from Zepol's tools?
Rasmussen: Our transportation customers increase revenue and profit from Zepol every day by expanding relationships with existing customers and adding new customers to their client lists. On the direct importer side, an automotive parts company subscribed to our service because they needed to locate new suppliers overseas. With our t
