Interview with
Mr. Antonio Acosta
Business Development Manager
First of all Antonio, please tell our readers about the company Masterline. Where are you present in South America? Who are the owners of Masterline?
Masterline Logistics Group is a family-owned business, founded in 2003 by Mr. Jean Armand Dessenoix and Mrs. Isabel Bedregal. At the moment, our company has a staff of 500 employees, 28 offices in 13 countries in LATAM (Latin America), Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and Costa Rica.
Do you have experience in handling project cargoes? Could you perhaps provide our readers with a few examples?
Frankly speaking, we have handled all kinds of projects, and I would say this is one of our main areas of expertise. Air Charter examples range from living animals (lions, horses), time critical items for telecommunications, Maquila companies, and medical supplies during Covid. We have done sea freight charters for ceramics, and ethanol, oil, electric, and lithium plants. We have also handled projects connected with the military, humanitarianism, musical tours, textiles, and concrete. LATAM is our market; we know the people, the culture, and we are proud of it.
South America is a large continent, and since you are present in many countries, we can start with the country where I believe you are located, Paraguay. Are you from Paraguay yourself? Paraguay is a landlocked country. Can you explain to our readers about how project cargoes can be transported to Paraguay?
I’m based in Asuncion, Paraguay, yes. However, I’m the Business Development Manager for all the Masterline offices, so I try to support all of our countries equally.
Regarding Paraguay, it’s true that we are a landlocked country, so when we have a major project, we need to check whether it can be shipped by river (mostly using the Rio de la Plata and Amazonas) or by land from the nearest sea port ( Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Paranagua, Santos, Iquique, Valparaiso, etc.). We are always seeking the most convenient option.
We have major challenges like the river levels, and the geopolitical and economic issues since we depend on our neighbors. However, we always manage to find the best possible solution. In fact, at the moment, we are handling a project through the De la Plata River that includes break bulk shipments, Flat Racks, Open Tops (both IG/OOG) and standard containers.
The river system in South America seems to be an efficient way to get to inland points on the continent. Can you tell our readers whether you have experience in this?
Unfortunately, there is an historical debt in infrastructure with regard to land routes, not only in South but also in Central America compared with Europe, North America and Asia. This is due to a history of corruption and bad economic management of our resources. The positive part about this situation is that the private investments have been huge in the past decade in our river barge fleets and private ports as well, so we get competitive offers and solutions. Where you have problems, there are always going to be opportunities, especially in our region.
How many years have you been working in shipping & logistics yourself? What do you like about this field of business?
I have been in our industry from 2006 for the past 17 years, 16 of them in MASTERLINE. I’m a 24/7, extremely passionate person who enjoys the obvious challenges of our industries, the competition, the constant changes, traveling, new cultures, and international relations, but at the end of the day, you are always focusing on the next steps, developing products, services, and solutions, and supporting your client to achieve their main goals.
If you look at the crystal ball concerning business into South America, how would you estimate that the rest of 2023/2024 will look? Any particular countries that stand out?
We are aware that economic deceleration is projected in South and Central America because of the worldwide global picture. However, there are still many opportunities, especially for companies willing to invest in digital technologies: live tracking portals with high efficiency and the transformation from B2B to B2C will have a huge impact as well. Peru, Panama, Colombia, Paraguay, and Uruguay are countries that we believe can have major developments in a short term.
How is it best for our readers to reach you, and whom should they speak to regarding project cargo in the various countries where you are represented?
I will leave my personal information below for any kind of consultation regarding any country where we are located. We have a pricing box in each country for any type of enquiry as well that I will be happy to share with anyone who needs it.
Email: antonio@masterline-logistics.com.py
Website: www.masterline-logistics.com.py
