N EW A FFI L I AT E Double strength Following on from success with Venezuelan Affiliate Mudanzas Internacionales Global, Juerg Degenmann set up a partner business, Relocation Services Global in Bogota, Colombia in 2017. The company has now also gained its FAIM accreditation, and Degenmann tells FIDI Focus about his aspirations for the firm FIDI Focus: What are the characteristics of the moving market in Colombia? How have these evolved over the past 10 years? Juerg Degenmann: There is a very strong market in the country, especially in the capital Bogota but also in the cities of Medellin and Cali. This applies to outgoing moves as well as incoming. Juerg Degenmann FF: What are the most popular domestic and international destinations for transferees from Colombia? JD: We see many exports to Texas and Florida in the US. In Central America, Panama and Mexico are also very strong moving destinations for transferees from Colombia. FF: How will Relocation Services Global work with your Venezuela office? JD: There is quite a high volume of traffic between Venezuela and Colombia, in both directions. With our office in Caracas and my personal knowledge of the moving business in both countries it makes the whole process easy for us and of course for our customers, too. FF: In your recent interview with FIDI Focus, you mentioned the security issues in the country what is the situation now and how does this impact on the business? JD: In mid-May, the US State Department advised their citizens not to travel to Colombia for security 76 reasons. In the past few weeks crime and civil unrest have increased considerably. However, so far, the business has remained the same. We have seen similar conditions in Venezuela over decades so we are very used to dealing with these kinds of situations. FF: Where do you see the biggest opportunities for growth in your market? JD: Corporate business will definitely see an increase but private business is growing, too, because of the political situation and the possibility of an economic downturn here in Colombia. Some Colombians are afraid that the country could turn into a second Venezuela. FF: Why did you decide to join FIDI and how did you find the FAIM process? JD: After joining IAM, OMNI and LACMA, it was a must for us to join FIDI. We applied for it as soon as we could according to FIDI rules. We have vast experience in the auditing process which I did first in Venezuela, in the year 2000, becoming the first accredited company in the country so it went very smoothly for us. For me, the most difficult target was to get our staff all on the same page and ensure that they understood what FAIM is about. FF: What does the immediate future hold for Colombian moving in general and your business specifically? JD: Now we have become a FIDI member, we will see increased growth for us, particularly within the FIDI community. This shows me we are on the right track and did the correct thing applying to become a FIDI Affiliate. We are ready for all our business partners, and I am looking forward to a successful first year. We are starting to generate our own bookings here in the local market. Im very happy to say we came to Colombia and that we are here to stay.