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Maersk Line to begin charging for chassis usage beginning June 1st, 2010.

Maersk has continued to move forward with it’s Chassis Management Program. After introducing the program in the Northeast and Midwest, Maersk has announced the expansion of the program into the Gulf and Pacific Northwest region. The program will eliminate Maersk Line from having any chassis’s in stock and instead is opening an affiliated company called Chassis Link which will lease chassis’s for use with any steamship line container for a daily charge. This will mean that all Maersk containers will now have to use either a chassis link chassis or trucking companies will have to provide their own chassis.

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While the logo may be changing, Gulf Winds dedication and vision are still the same. Below is the announcement by Vice President Todd Stewart on the meaning and symbolism behind the the change.

Business Meaning
Our new logo is based on a Native American symbol for wind, which is the diamond. The diamond is green thereby maintaining our original color and a sense of history. Wind represents movement, which relates directly to our core business of managing the transport and distribution of cargo. The early traders depended on the wind to guide their vessels and our clients depend on us to properly handle, distribute and deliver their cargo. A blue circle or globe of water is dropped over the diamond to represent international commerce. Geographically, the globe supports our core business of managing the transport and distribution of international and domestic cargo. The globe will allow us to scale as our service areas expand over time. There are white lines surrounding the diamond and exiting the logo from all four corners of the globe. These white lines represent international trade and point to our ability to move domestic and international cargo in all geographic directions. The color selections of green and blue will tell our clients that we are committed to environmental stewardship. The font selection for our name has been changed to Sans-serif. This is a bold font that articulates a commitment to service and professionalism. It is also extremely easy to read and reproduce. We will maintain our tag line, “The International Logistics Specialists”. In doing so, we let our employees and clients know that although our logo has changed, our expertise and commitment to service will continue.

Biblical Meaning (The Gospel / It’s all His)
No doubt, the Gospel is the story of our company. It is fitting that we will utilize wind and water as the key elements in our new logo. Jesus uses wind in John chapter three to explain the work of God in a person’s heart. “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) So it has been in the life of our company. We set out to build a business and God worked within our hearts to mold us and change us to be used of him. He is our guide and His spirit blows us where he desires. Throughout our companies history, we and many others have come to understand God’s mercy and the peace that comes through saving Grace. God continues to open and close doors for us through the movement and promptings of the Holy Spirit of God.

The second primary element of our new logo is water. Throughout scripture, water is used to purify and wash away sin. God used water to flood the earth in the time of Noah as a judgment on sin. The real story here is not the judgment on sin, but the preservation of righteousness in Noah’s family. In the new testament, Jesus states that, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”. (John 3:3) Water baptism is a picture of God’s cleansing work in the heart of a believer. It represents the physical and spiritual cleansing of a person’s soul. In addition, Jesus’ first miracle in John chapter 2 involved water that was to be used for ceremonial cleansing prior to a wedding feast. When the party hosts were out of wine, they turned to Jesus for help. Jesus responded by turning the water into wine. The real story here is that Jesus has come to purify the world through his death on the cross. No longer are men forced to spend their days trying to earn their way into heaven only to be left feeling exhausted and frustrated at their repeated failures. Because of His cleansing work on the cross and by Faith in Him, we can have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 5:1) It is no coincident that Jesus’ first miracle involved water that was to be used for purification purposes.

The white lines that separate the wind and water in our logo point north, south, east and west. As Christians, we are called to, “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”. Matt 28:18 We take the great commission seriously because it has transformed our lives and our company. Acts 1:8 states that, “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth”. By God’s grace, we press on to spread the joy of knowing Christ in our community and around the world. This is our most precious core value.

Our Logo represents God’s cleansing work in our lives and his blessing on our company and those around us. We are privileged and honored to be used by God in our area of influence. We are His vessels and we go where His wind blows us to deliver the message of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Todd Stewart
Vice President
Gulf Winds International, Inc.

Energized by the glimmers of an economic turnaround, Texas is ready to lead the way in a rebounding market and Gulf Winds is right in the middle ready to serve you! After the ravages of Hurricane Ike and a depressed global economy, improvements in the Texas Gulf Coast infrastructure are ready for increases in trade to continue.

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1st Quarter Report – Wowo, Sudan

Check out our Ministries Page for more information on Aid Sudan and our other charities.

Gulf Winds along with a group from the Northrise University Initiative worked last week to load a 40′ ocean container with supplies for their new business building bound for Zambia, Africa. The Northrise University Initiative is a ministry that started a university in Zambia, Africa complete with agricultural and theological degree programs. They train pastors and teach people how to farm.

Northrise University Initiative website

Happy New Year!

As the conference on Global Warming went on in Copenhagen, it was snowing in Houston, Texas! Although we always welcome the cold weather, our hope is that international container shipping will heat up in 2010. In this edition of Supply Chain Solutions, we provide insight into what RILA calls “the most pressing supply chain issue facing retailers today.” No, it is not Global Warming! However, the economic impact is dramatic. We are talking about visibility of the whole supply chain. The information we will share has been gathered over a number of years and is eye opening to say the least. We have personally visited with a variety of retailers and visibility is a consistent theme regardless of company size. We also provide an update on The Port of Houston including the ongoing expansion of the Bayport Container Terminal, hiring of a new CEO, and surprising operational performance numbers for the 2009 period. Additionally, we will identify the key items you should know about our company for the year ended December 31, 2009. We recently updated our web site, so please take time to visit us at www.gwii.com.

God bless,
Todd Stewart
Vice President

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