The Brownsville & Rio Grande International Railway, LLC (BRG) has recruited former Amazon global supply chain executive Shariff Gonnella as its president. OmniTRAX, a full-service provider of supply-chain and logistics solutions, is The Broe Group’s transportation affiliate. The significant position that the Port of Brownsville plays in the port capacity of North America will be reshaped because to Gonnella’s extensive experience creating global infrastructure and international transportation strategies. The nomination comes in the wake of news of significant developments in the Brownsville region, including the biggest greenfield energy project in American history and a cutting edge space port.
According to OmniTRAX President and COO Sergio Sabatini, “Texas has continued to handle record-breaking freight volumes, stretching shipping infrastructure capacity to its limits. Brownsville offers global shippers the much-needed flexibility and efficiency to reach worldwide markets. According to the announcement, “Shariff’s extensive experience enhancing the capacity of global infrastructure and his audacious vision to transform the BRG into a dynamic, global freight gateway are the ideal skills to help us meet the ongoing demands of near shoring and international trade.”
The nomination comes in the wake of news of significant developments in the Brownsville region, including the biggest greenfield energy project in American history and a cutting edge space port.
Texas continues to process some of the biggest port volumes in the country at a time when the demand for effective solutions for the global supply chain is at an all-time high. In 2023, the amount of foreign freight processed at the Port of Laredo alone exceeded that at the ports of Los Angeles and Chicago, making Laredo the busiest port for international trade in the country. To ease the pressure of overextended demand, the Port of Brownsville provides increased capacity and optionality. BRG is prepared to act as a vital international transportation route that provides unmatched shipping efficiency for imports and exports between the US and Mexico.
Esteban Guerra, chairman of the board of commissioners for the Port of Brownsville, declared that the town was delighted to welcome Shariff Gonnella. “We are eager to work with Shariff and our esteemed partners at OmniTRAX in the future. Our team is dedicated to cooperating to boost the Port and the entire Rio Grande Valley’s economy.
Texas continues to process some of the biggest port volumes in the country at a time when the demand for effective solutions for the global supply chain is at an all-time high.
All facilities inside the 40,000-acre Brownsville Navigation District at the Port of Brownsville can only be reached by rail thanks to the BRG. BRG is a critical commerce route between the US and Mexico with connections to the Union Pacific and CPKC railroads. It has the potential to develop into a complementary trade route that provides relief from the Port of Laredo’s increasing capacity pressures.
Shariff Gonnella expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to work with the innovative OmniTRAX team, which “shares a vision about the critical importance of international transport strategies and the bold role the BRG can play.” “The BRG presents a unique opportunity to build a global gateway that redefines the very nature of our industry, and I’m eager to work with my colleagues to establish the connections necessary to make that happen,” said the author.
Shariff Gonnella expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to work with the innovative OmniTRAX team.
Gonnella takes over for departing BRG President Norma Torres on August 1 and starts in his new position. Prior to joining Amazon, Shariff had important strategic leadership and business roles at Convoy, Cargolux Airlines, and Singapore Airlines, making a lasting impression on the continents of the United States and Latin America.
