Have you wondered how difficult it must be for logistic firms in overpopulated countries like Brazil? It comes as no surprise that the land of exotic beaches and famous

carnivals, up until recently, had poor shipping services due to its territorial vastness. Gerald Blake Lee is a brilliant entrepreneur who decided to take matters into his own hands. In 2014 he found the solution to this problem, and thus Modern Logistics was set and ready to go.

Modern Logistics offers safe and fast transportation through the country of any item. With 8 distribution centers, the company succeeds in handing in every product in time. Achieving his goal was turbulent, but Gerald was determined. First, he had to put in

Born in Sao Paulo, Made in New York City

Gerald Lee, a Brazilian himself, was born and raised in Sao Paulo. Growing up, he loved his country dearly but was well aware that life there was a challenge for many.

In his teenage years, like any other teenager, Gerald had a dream of creating something big, something to help people come stronger on the other side of their misfortunes.

One of Gerald’s greatest inspirations in life has always been rebellious artists behind the Modern Art Week of 1922. For the less acquainted, the Modern Art Week of 1922 marked the artistic revolution against the capitalistic society in Brazil.

The revolution was relevant for the country as it celebrated its prime art and artists, instead of following into Europe’s shoes and mimicking patterns. Brazilian artists who came back home from Paris - also the capital of revolutions and modernism - brought their knowledge home and made the most of it.

Following their bold steps, Gerald decided to study in NYC and bring his acquired knowledge back to Brazil. Thus, he opted to devote himself to the realms of economy and business and enrolled at the New York University.

While still in his early twenties, Gerald wanted to experience many other hobbies. He decided that, besides his college studies, he also wanted to work and earn some money on the side.

The future entrepreneur started a job as an undercover cop, fighting criminals on the streets. A few years following his blue-collar career, Gerald managed to acquire a J.D. degree from the Virginia School of Law, along with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from New York University.

Going Big in the Corporate World

The two fields Gerald had studied were the perfect fit for starting a business. After finishing his studies, Gerald decided to stay in New York City, the home of countless successful entrepreneurs. Although Gerald’s enthusiasm to start something new and revolutionary was there, the timing didn't seem right.

Gerald decided not to rush towards his ambitions, and instead, he dipped into the corporate world as the Vice President of Business Development of JetBlue Airways.

Gerald went on to become the company’s Director of Corporate Finance, and later on, its Corporate Counselor. What all three experiences had in common were finances, management, and law. That’s how Gerald built the foundations and gained enough knowledge to start his own enterprise.

When the time felt right, Gerald traveled from New York City to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Gerald took inspiration from his childhood days and sought to find a solution to one of the biggest problems in his homeland - logistics.

The soon-to-be entrepreneur aspired to create a logistics company that could help his customers to transport sensitive products through the highest modern technology programs and schemes. Armed with experience and enthusiasm, in 2011, Gerald crafted the first business plan.

Modern Logistics: The Beginning

While the company started its strategic design and development in 2011, the first operations began in October 2014. Gerald's vision was to create a company that would

help anyone who needed fast and secure transportation with sensitive products. He founded Modern Logistics together with his business partner Marlon Ramirez.

One of the initial obstacles of Modern Logistics was Gerald's prior positions in JetBlue and Azul. It largely disputed the growth of Modern Logistics due to legal matters.

However, with the help of his skill to negotiate through any obstacle, Gerald managed to solve this problem. Additionally, the young businessman succeeded in landing a private investment worth $19 million from DXA Investments.

This investment helped the company grow into a big industry and continue to pursue its revolutionary dream. As of 2015, the company began working full steam.

Modern Logistics Rules On

In a country as vast as Brazil, transportation of items with a short shelf life is a problem. With the investment Gerald managed to land, however, he became the first and the only one who found a solution to the perpetual problem.

Modern Logistics is the only firm that offers fast and secure transport in Brazil. The service of this industry includes transportation on land and air, according to the CCO standard used by major airlines.

It has high-technology systems created to secure sensitive content items, such as electronics, automotive parts, perishable and dangerous items, and pharmaceutical products. Besides the material, the company transfers live animals and plants, including human organs too. Moreover, all airplanes and trucks it offers are constructed appropriately to the product specifications.

Modern Logistics is tailored in a manner that is most suited for its customers. It is operational and flexible in a tax-appropriate way for the customers. The integrated logistics are constructed by the most experienced IT technicians and engineers. Ultimately their goal is to provide secure transportation of items - from the warehouse to the customers’ hands.

Facing the Pandemic

In 2020, the world faced something unexpected and unseen up until then - the COVID 19 pandemic. Lockdowns were among the prime precaution measures taken against the pandemic.

Unfortunately, this move affected private businesses negatively and slowed down their development process. During this time, severe damage was caused to the cycle of business as well as the economy.

The pandemic especially decreased the income of businesses in need of transportation. With it, the logistics department was also affected. However, in 2020, Modern Logistics rose like a phoenix and received an

investment from HIG Capital, worth $65 million. With the help of HIG Capital, Modern Logistics aims to acquire $150 million, to be used for further expansion.

Brazil’s Finest

Today, Modern Logistic offers its services in around 200 cities in Brazil. All the while, it carries the core company idea - faster and more secure product transportation. The platform has over 40,000 cargo trucks and four cargo planes at its disposal.

Their plans for 2020 were to expand their air fleet. Even more, the company is working with more than 100 major-name customers, including Harley-Davidson and Boston Scientific Corp. The company is supported both by private equity and venture investment firm - DXA Investments. It initially started with $10 million in the first round of funding, and currently, is worth $250 billion.

After the rigid pandemic restrictions, the company’s transport and logistics worked under full steam to ensure and satisfy people’s needs, especially those who were afraid to shop at stores.

Gerald’s Modern Logistics is a pure example of what happens when you put dreams into plans and plans into actions. What once started as a seemingly childish desire to help make the world a better place, has now made Gerlad’s company the definition of a real-life business fairytale!