It is four in the morning and Beverly Anne Arcangel is already getting out of bed. These early hours are precious for the Managing Director of Prozone Xpress Logistics INC. (PXL), because it won’t be long before her phone starts ringing off the hook. Though the majority of PXL’s clients are from China and Intra-Asia, Europe and the United States are also at par so it is important for her to be awake when they are. Decisions need to be made, no matter what time of day or night it is. In fact, she only had four hours of sleep, since she was managing a buyer’s consolidation from Italy at midnight. Still, Beverly never complains. She knows it is necessary for her company’s success. Embracing only positivity, the 43-year-old begins her routine with a session/flow of Jin Shin Jyutsu (JSJ), a traditional Japanese practice that helps harmonize one’s energy by holding different parts of the body. Bev puts herself in a state of peace and relaxation. After that, she makes her way towards the driving range, yoga or Pilates studio, but manages time to reply to every email in her inbox. By the time the sun is shining bright, she already managed to put on her #GirlBoss hat on even before she arrives at the office.

“I wear different hats in the office, “ she says, while explaining her daily routine. “Monday is my time to start the week right. I facilitate important finance stuff, then I meet with my different teams.” She goes on , talking about PXL’s busy schedule. Being in the logistics industry means new and unexpected situations happen on a daily basis. As Managing Director (without a General Manager), it is up to Beverly to be on top of everything - making sure her team is running like a well-oiled machine. Tuesdays are for Business Development. Wednesday is for Networking. Thursday is for this; Friday is for that. And work never stops at 6:30 PM sharp, because Bev is always reachable via mobile. She could be winding down at home before suddenly receiving an important phone call from a VIP client. “It is really no sleep, “ laughs the energetic young woman. “But I am really lucky, because I haven’t gotten sick with COVID.”

While Prozone Xpress Logistics Inc. is a relatively new company, Beverly and her team have quickly elevated it to becoming one of the country’s top logistics superstars. They handle diverse industries from the shipment of luxury furniture and lifestyle items to medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, appliances, construction materials, retail, trading and essentials (IT, telecommunication, water, agriculture, etc). PXL has grown considerably even during a pandemic. PXL has established a network coverage of 150 cities in 75 countries across six continents. Although success came fast for the gifted businesswoman, it was no easy path. The last twenty-two years was a rocky journey, and it began when she graduated University in the year 2000.

“I studied in UP Diliman School of Economics from 1996-2000,” explained the Davao-native, who graduated Cum Laude. “I went to Ateneo Law School after, but I only lasted for three days. I realized I wanted something different. Since I studied BS Economics, I had interviews with a couple of banks and multinationals. However, my aunt owned a logistics company and said I will be a perfect fit for this industry. “

Bev took the chance. Although she was family, the fresh grad was not handed the keys to the kingdom. She worked her way up, starting as a Business Development Assistant, to a Route Development Manager and eventually becoming a Country Sales Manager over the course of 19-years. She particularly credits her aunt, as well as her direct boss, for mentoring her into the entrepreneur she is today. Beverly remembers her time there fondly. She shares how she was tagged as “The Tile Princess” because of her successful movements of Italian and Spanish tiles to the Philippines. She was able to handle high value goods at such a young age.

By 2019, Beverly had reached the top of her career. However, she realized that her and her previous company's values no longer aligned. It was time to break free and begin her career as a solo act. “That is when I turned 40. I was so scared. But there were certain people who helped me and encouraged me to be an ENTREPRENEUR. “Go for it, Beverly! It is now your time, you should go for it.” And I did.”

Prozone Xpress Logistics Inc. maneuvered during the pandemic by being quick and agile. She also credits her partner, her co Managing Director at PXL along with her colleagues whose hardwork, commitment and passion in logistics made them the ideal power team. Eventually, the big guns started to roll in. Clients were looking for Bev mainly because they loved how she conducted business. Beverly takes pride in her unique customer service approach which makes her logistics company different from competitors. “I always say, I don’t just give a quotation to the customer, I ensure to give them a solutions-focused and client-first approach that require precision, timing, foresight and flexibility. I listen to their requirements then I customize our services depending on their needs,“ she explains. “I always tell my team, that it is all about personalized service.”

She shared an example, recalling a time at the height of the pandemic when they need to deliver high-value German machinery to a new water bottling plant in Cavite. While her competitors were pitching to deliver via Manila, they did it via Batangas port which was faster and more cost efficient. Another memorable victory was when a big hotel-casino needed to bring in an airfreight weighing 70 tons from China. Beverly explains that shipping to Manila will take 5-7 days before the freight will be cleared and delivered. That would cost a fortune for the customer as they will be charged storage charges per kilo per day. Instead, her team came up with the brilliant idea to send it to Clark, which had less cargo, and is only two-hours away from Manila. “We sent it there, and it was customs cleared in just two days. The ultimate client was able to save a lot of money and goods were delivered according to their timeline.” she says with a glowing smile.

While many companies were minimizing manpower during the pandemic, Beverly did the exact opposite. She made sure that PXL’s clients always had somebody to talk to directly about their concerns. Her way of doing business truly helped foster strong relationships with her clients, who ultimately trusted the company with all their logistical needs. Bev says she is also very open/transparent to her customers because honesty truly is the best policy. “Information is very vital especially at this time where the supply chain is very challenging. It does not matter if clients get mad, we have to be honest on the current logistics situation. This is the reason why we want them to know the latest market updates. I do not want to give people false hopes on the arrival of their shipments. We tell them the truth for them to better plan their order management and their delivery timelines.”

Although Beverly has now been in the industry for over two decades, she still looks at her work as something new and exciting. The business of logistics is high stakes and nerve-racking. One small mistake could cost millions. “I am very detailed in business, because you have to be.“ she says in a serious tone. “If you miss information like the correct chargeable weight or correct volume in cubic meter of a shipment, then everything changes. And a mistake translates to monetary loss in dollars, not in peso. This is the reason why it is called LOGISTICS - because this work requires LOGIC.

With her mindset of growth and business sustainability, she longs to impart her wisdom and learnings to everybody working at her office. She knows that logistics is a team effort, and that the best she can do for her employees is to lead by example. During the pandemic, everybody was scared to go out. Nobody wanted to go to the bank for our daily shipping line transactions. “So I had to do it myself. I had to do it so I could show the rest that even though there was COVID, it still had to be done. If they saw my fear, they would be scared too.” Beverly also wants to give credit to other brave, good souls. Competitors who were open for collaboration and willingly helped them survive and thrive during the hard times.

Beverly is very aware that offices round-the clock schedule could be very frustrating and stressful for her employees. She makes it a point to remind them to look at the bigger picture - that their work is contributing to the Philippines economic landscape. “When my staff is tired or burnt out, I tell them to think of what they do and the social impact that they make. We change lives! We help bring in raw materials for food, medical equipment for hospital use, pharmaceutical products, etc which is so vital. We are serving diverse industries who basically needs our services to keep their goods moving,”.

Remembering her journey was an emotional process for the successful business woman. Throughout the interview, she held back genuine tears. Beverly was somebody else’s employee for a good 19 years, and now she is calling the shots. Yet, her success has not gone to her head. She remains humble, knowing that her quiet strength can be harnessed into gold. “Last June 2022, one of the Philippines leading shipping lines called a meeting with me. Announcing that Prozone Xpress Logistics Inc. was noticed as one of the top 10 importers/producers for their line. I was so proud to be in a roster of the big logistics players in the country.” As we ended the interview, I realized that life can indeed begin at 40. All you need is a little strength, a lot of prayers and a lot of logic.

Get in touch with Beverly Anne Arcangel through:
management@pxl.com.ph
PXL Website: www.pxl.com.ph 

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