For over 75 years, Coppersmith has taken the worry out of international shipping. As your full-service international shipping partner, we understand the daunting and complex nature of global business.
Whether it’s a standard ocean container, an urgent air shipment, or an expedited truckload, Coppersmith is committed to keeping you connected with up-to-the-minute information every step of the journey. With a wide variety of specializations, when you choose Coppersmith, you can rest easy that our commitment to compliance ensures that your cargo reaches its destination safely, on time, and without the costly trouble that can plague complex shipments.
Since 1948, the Coppersmith tradition of personalized service continues to put our customers first. We understand the importance of strong relationships and promise to be an advocate and trusted partner at every turn. Today, four generations later and with nine U.S. offices, Coppersmith continues to set the standard for reliability and professional integrity. In addition to our national Customs brokerage license, we are CTPAT certified, an IATA agent, TSA-approved Indirect Air Carrier, FMC licensed Ocean Transportation Intermediary, NVOCC and FMCSA licensed freight broker. As a full-service third party logistics provider, we are your professional representative, skilled at understanding and interpreting the many complex and ever-changing regulations in order to protect our customers.
Coppersmith Global Logistics built our reputation on quality, customer service and family values. Remaining true to those values which have helped us grow for over 7 decades, we have invested heavily in both people and systems to remain at the forefront of the international logistics industry. Coppersmith is well-versed in all facets of cargo transportation ranging from supply chain optimization and security to government regulations and product compliance.
Leadership
Jeff Coppersmith has been President of Coppersmith Global Logistics since 2002. Jeff received his B.S. degree in Small Business Management from the University of Northern Colorado and came to work for the family business in 1978. Jeff received his Customs Brokers License in 1985 and has played a major part in the company’s growth and expansion.
Jeff is currently the Senior Counselor for the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America. He served the NCBFAA as President, Treasurer, Board Member, as well as Forwarding Committee Chairman. Jeff has also been active in regional associations serving as President of the Pacific Coast Council of Brokers and Forwarders (PCC) for two terms. Prior to that, Jeff was Chairman of the Los Angeles World Trade Week sponsored by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Jeff also served on the boards of the Los Angeles Customs Brokers Association and the Foreign Trade Association of Southern California.
A sixth generation Los Angelino, Jeff enjoys the southern California lifestyle including running (he ran two marathons), biking, in-line skating, as well as a good round of golf. Jeff is married to Roberta and they have two grown sons.
Lew “Bud” Coppersmith II has been Executive Vice President of L.E. Coppersmith, Inc. (LEC) since 2002. As a third generation owner, Bud began his career as an office messenger and international airfreight agent with LEC as well as sister company Target Airfreight (TAF).
He graduated from Claremont McKenna College in 1988 with a Bachelors degree in Economics and International relations and started working at the TAF airport office. Upon obtaining his Customs Broker License in 1990, Bud moved downtown to LEC as an import entry writer. Looking to expand the company’s footprint, Bud moved to Chicago in 1995 and New York in 1998 to oversee several acquistions and manage the resulting office locations. In 2000, Bud returned to Los Angeles and oversaw the development of the company’s international logistics division. He has travelled extensively to Asia and domestically enhancing Coppersmith’s service offerings and agent network. Bud has remained an active member of the FTA, LACBFFA, and the NCBFAA throughout his career.
Bud is married and a father of three children. He enjoys golfing, travelling and attending his children’s school activities.
Robert Glover, a graduate of San Marino High School in 1973 joined Coppersmith Global Logistics in 1977 after graduating from the University of California San Diego with a B.A. degree in Economics.
Bob began his career working with Jeff Coppersmith as a hands on runner, handling Customs examinations and creating relationships with longshoremen and industry professionals alike. After spending time as an import entry clerk, Bob received his Customs Broker License in 1984 and was eventually named Vice President for Imports at Coppersmith Global Logistics in 1996. Bob is also a Certified Customs Specialist as approved by the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America.
Bob has been a member of the Foreign Trade Association of Southern California and the Los Angeles Customs Broker & Freight Forwarder Association for many years.
Bob was born in Southern California and enjoys outdoor activities including swimming, cycling and golf. Bob and his wife Patti have three grown sons.
Bobby Shaida joined Coppersmith Global Logistics in 2009. He is an experienced global logistics professional with solid background in operations, international trade, business development and sales. Bobby is experienced across numerous sectors in U.S., Asia, Europe, South America, Middle East and China.
Previously Bobby was the Vice President of Nik & Associates Inc. and Nik Transport Inc.
Bobby lived and studied in London for twelve years where he received his B.S. degree in Economics, International Trade and Business Administration from David Game College of Business.
Bobby enjoys travel, fitness, music and is a automobile aficionado. He is married and lives in Long Beach, CA.
Victoria Lane has been working in the Customs brokerage and Freight Forwarding industry since 1978. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest originating from Tacoma Wa, and has lived in Portland, Oregon for the last 50 years.
Victoria started in the industry working for an Importer, then migrated to Customs Broker in 1978, where she learned the business from the ground up in the accounting department, then moved to import documentation and away she went from that point. She started at Frank P. Dow Co., which then became F.W. Myers and then The Myers Group. She then moved in 1992 to Edward M Jones & Co where she studied and received her Customs brokerage license in 1996. In 2002 Edward M. Jones & Co. became L.E. Coppersmith Inc where she is currently the Portland office Branch Manager. In 2010 she was promoted to the Corporate Compliance Manager for L.E. Coppersmith Inc. and in 2018 was again promoted to Vice President of Corporate Compliance for L.E. Coppersmith Inc.
She enjoys yoga, Zumba and hiking.
- NCBFAA Vice President 2022-present
- NCBFAA Secretary 2020-2021
- NCBFAA Board Area 6 Representative 2015-2020
- PCC Chairwoman 2015 to present
- PCC President 2011 to 2015
- Columbia River Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association Vice President 2008-2011
- L.E. Coppersmith Inc. 2002-present
- Licensed Customs Broker since 1996
- Working in Customs brokerage since 1978
OUR
History
Started as a mother and son operation in 1948, Coppersmith Global Logistics built our reputation on quality, customer service and family values. Today, four generations later with nine U.S. offices, Coppersmith continues to set the standard for reliability and professional integrity. Remaining true to the values which have helped us grow for more than seven decades, we have invested heavily in both people and systems to remain at the forefront of the international logistics industry. Coppersmith is well versed in all facets of cargo transportation ranging from supply chain optimization, security, government regulations and product admissibility and compliance.
Since our humble beginnings in Los Angeles in 1948, led by one of the first women brokers in the country, our company has continued to be an international trade industry leader. Following the untimely death of his mother Adrienne, Lew Coppersmith incorporated the company in 1961 with a small base of Customs brokerage and freight forwarding customers. In addition to building his company, Lew was actively involved in building the West Coast business associations which have become the backbone of our current trade community. He served in executive and board positions for the L.A. Chamber of Commerce, Foreign Trade Association, and Propeller Club among others, earning him the Stanley T. Olufson award for industry leadership in 1975. Since then, many of Coppersmith’s management personnel have continued to be active with their local trade associations which guide our industry, including presidents of Los Angeles and San Francisco brokers and forwarders associations, presidents of the Pacific Coast Council, as well as advisors to the Trade Support Network and ACE development groups. Today, our company president Jeff Coppersmith holds the position of Senior Counselor and is a past President of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA). Today, Vice President of Corporate Compliance and Portland Branch Manager Victoria Lane holds the position of Vice President of the association.
These leadership positions enable our company to participate in discussions with federal regulators and industry professionals who are developing compliance and security regulations for our industry. In this way, we can help explain to our regulators how new regulations and procedures will affect the way we do business. International trade is a highly regulated and ever-changing business, which requires constant monitoring and adjusting to remain in compliance. We take pride in our ability to remain at the forefront of these decisions and to share this knowledge with our customers.
As the needs of our customers grow, so too does the need for our company to expand into other areas of our industry and the country. Soon after our incorporation and the development of small L.A. airport and harbor offices, we opened a second major West Coast office in San Francisco and added air freight forwarding and consolidation services into our business profile. With the opening of our Houston, Texas office in 1976 and a sales office in Fresno to better serve our niche customers, Coppersmith became the largest export forwarder of raw cotton west of the Mississippi. The addition of Dallas in 1992 and the advent of the centralized computer system, gave our company a truly regional appeal. We were again leading the industry in the late 1980’s as one of the first Customs brokers to be approved to participate in Customs’ Automated Broker Interface (ABI), which was Customs first step toward modernization. Our ability to expedite customers import shipments by filing paperless entries revolutionized the industry. Today over 90% of all entries filed in the United States are filed electronically and Customs has developed a new electronic platform to incorporate all government entities. All Coppersmith entries are filed electronically. Our ability to electronically file information throughout the country and share information from our international agents, gives our customers the most timely processing of shipments available. No matter what type of product you may be shipping, industry professionals know how to handle it, and our network of carriers and agents makes finding an answer easy.
Since 1994, Coppersmith has been able to expand our national presence by acquiring over 30 small or regional service companies into our family organization. By adding Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Seattle and Portland as wholly owned regional offices, Coppersmith became a truly national company and was able to obtain a National Customs Permit enabling us to remotely file entries throughout the country. The integration of these acquired businesses not only helped us create a national footprint of gateway offices across the country, but also provided us personnel with expertise areas of our industry where we had not previously been involved. Today, our customer service products are still primarily import Customs brokerage and export freight forwarding, but also include air freight forwarding, ocean NVOCC, domestic freight brokerage, cargo insurance, and worldwide door to door logistics services. Of course, providing a full range of transportation services requires licenses and certifications from both industry and government regulators. As a condition of holding and maintaining these licenses, we must maintain our systems and provide persistent, recurrent training to our employees. Coppersmith boasts more than twenty licensed Customs brokers and Certified Transportation Specialists on staff.
Today our industry is focused on security and efficiency. As the governments of the world develop security requirements, Coppersmith is the first to implement them. ISF, AES and ACE among others are programs where we have once again been asked to participate in testing, to advise regulators how best to implement these systems among the industry. Currently almost half our staff has been security screened by TSA, while all of our offices are trained in security measures as required by our Customs and Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) certification.
Over the decades, Coppersmith has built on the niche business that every company uses to grow. As mentioned, offices in the South and Central California helped us to become a leader in forwarding raw cotton worldwide. As this business changed, so did we, into what is now a perishable market which continues to produce products for shipping around the globe. From fruit and nuts in Los Angeles, to fresh-cut flowers and pharmaceuticals in Chicago, to fresh and frozen seafood in Houston, Coppersmith has become a perishable expert. Consumer electronics imports of the 1970’s and 1980’s soon led into automobile parts, then accessories, then tires and specialty items. Other governmental agencies like the Food and Drug Administration also regulate thousands of products, which we both understand and welcome. From packaging and labeling to trademarks and quota, we have done it all. As the years pass, our experience with new products grows, as does our ability to advise our customers on what is needed to meet the guidelines of the government.
As a member of the World Cargo Alliance and through many years of business relationships, Coppersmith has developed a global network of knowledgeable and reliable agents. These relationships help us secure competitive international transportation rates from supplier door to customer door, whether they are in the U.S.A or not. One contact, one invoice, one company. All the services you need in one local contact.
We take pride in what we have accomplished over the past 75 years, yet we are not stopping our development, but rather striving to learning more about our customers and industry so we can continue to lead the way for many years to come.
Company Timeline
Family run for four generations
Started as a mother and son operation in 1948, Coppersmith Global Logistics built our reputation on quality, customer service and family values. Today, four generations later with ten U.S. offices, Coppersmith continues to set the standard for reliability and professional integrity. Remaining true to the values which have helped us grow for over six decades, we have invested heavily in both people and systems to remain at the forefront of the international logistics industry. Coppersmith is well versed in all phases of cargo transportation from Supply Chain maximization and security to governmental regulations and product compliance.