Keeping store shelves stocked with the season’s hottest shoes, video games and toys requires a resilient supply chain. That’s why Norvanco International depends on The Northwest Seaport Alliance to connect its distribution center in Sumner, Washington, with its clients overseas.

“I believe the Pacific Northwest is the port of choice for anybody who’s bringing goods destined for the United States,” said Marcus Moore, Norvanco’s vice president of sales and marketing.

The Pacific Northwest’s advantages include shorter transit times from Asia—as much as seven days over Southern California ports, Moore said—deep-water terminals that are ready to serve the bigger vessels entering the trans-Pacific trade and the expeditious transfer of cargo from the docks to his warehouse.

The third-party logistics provider’s distribution center offers transloading, customs house brokerage and a foreign trade zone designation. Norvanco understands that each client’s supply chain is unique and provides customer-specific logistic solutions that are flexible and adaptable to meet today’s dynamic retail environment.

Norvanco has supported international and domestic trade through the Puget Sound for nearly 40 years. Founded as a customs house brokerage, the company was acquired in 1988 by Air Trans, which provided air freight, warehousing and distribution services. The company’s name was changed to Norvanco International in 1991 to better reflect the global nature of the business.

Moore credits a strong partnership with the alliance for a big part of Norvanco’s success. The two harbors are the “lifeline for our clients’ goods to get to their customers,” he explained, and good communication about terminal availability, labor and timelines keeps cargo moving.

Both the alliance and local supply chain service providers play a role in growing cargo volumes through the Puget Sound gateway.

“At the end of the day, you have to preach the gospel of the Pacific Northwest to the folks out there because we are kind of a hidden gem,” Moore said. “As long as we can describe the value and really show the endgame for the clients—that if you can expedite cargo, bring it in a timely manner, be frugal about the way you manage your business and ultimately, deliver your goods to the customers—it’s a win for everybody.”