PHILADELPHIA, January 23, 2009 – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has named Michael Ford, vice president of regulatory compliance and quality for BDP International, to its Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC). The 20-member advisory council advises the secretaries of the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Homeland Security on trade compliance and facilitation, supply chain security and other trade issues of mutual concern.

"Private sector partnerships greatly enhance our efforts to secure the global supply chain and better facilitate the flow of commerce," said CBP Commissioner W. Ralph Basham. "The expertise and perspective that the federal government receives from this highly experienced and diverse set of stakeholders are tremendously valuable in the development and deployment of effective CBP programs and policies."

During its eleventh two-year term, the committee is expected to consider such issues as enhanced border and cargo supply chain security, CBP modernization and automation, informed compliance and compliance assessment, account-based processing, commercial enforcement and uniformity, international efforts to harmonize customs practices and procedures, strategic planning, northern and southern border issues, agricultural inspection and the CBP mission, and import safety.

"Global Trade Management is one of the currencies of service for logistics providers in the 21st century," said BDP President & CEO Richard J. Bolte, Jr. "It is part and parcel to the value we must bring to global traders as they navigate the complexities of an ever changing set of rules associated with import, export, security and environmental compliance. BDP, its customers, the Federal government and the greater business sector are indeed fortunate to have a professional of Michael Ford’s hands-on experience and high ethical stature on COAC. We at BDP are honored by his appointment, and have great confidence he will serve and do well by all."

Specializing in import/export documentation and regulatory compliance, Ford helps BDP’s consulting arm develop and administer value-added product offerings such as supply chain security, duty drawback, insurance, customer education and logistics process analysis and management, as well as governmental issues related to the handling and administration of export and import cargo. His leadership in communication and clarification of governmental rules and regulations is central to BDP's understanding and resolution of complex regulatory issues quickly, decisively and with minimal impact upon customers.

Ford has been associated with BDP for more than 29 years. Prior to his current role, he headed the company’s regional ocean export service division. For the past 13 years, he has worked with the CBP and the Department of Commerce/Census Bureau on automation of import and export programs. In addition he serves as co-chair for trade on the Export Committee in the development of the new Customs ACE system. He also teaches an MBA-level international logistics course at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

If you should have any questions with respect to the COAC, please do not hesitate to contact Michael Ford at +1-215-629-8924 or you may email him at michael.ford@bdpinternational.com.

About BDP
BDP International is one of the leading privately held freight logistics/transportation management firms based in the U.S. It operates freight logistics centers in more than 20 cities throughout North America and a network of subsidiaries, joint ventures and strategic partnerships in more than 120 countries. The company serves more than 4,000 customers worldwide. Clients include Bayer, CIBA, Conoco Phillips, Dow Chemical, DuPont, Heineken USA, Honeywell, Johnson & Johnson, Marks & Spencer, Revlon, Rohm & Haas, Trek Bicycle, and others. BDP provides a range of services, including sea, air and land transportation; lead logistics process analysis, design and management; export freight forwarding; import customs brokerage and regulatory compliance; project logistics; warehousing, consolidation and distribution; and BDPSmart©, a comprehensive online logistics customer service portal providing end-to-end global visibility of shipment information, metrics, reports via a single, Web-based interface. For more information visit: www.bdpinternational.com.