We Are Celebrating

65+ Years in Business

OUR HISTORY

Our story began in the early 1940’s, where our founder J.O. Alvarez, Sr, was 19 years old and working as a dispatcher for Mr. John Spindel’s U.S. Customs Brokerage firm, American Customs Brokers, Co. in Laredo, TX. Through the years, Mr. Alvarez held various positions within the company, including Office Manager. A few years later, Mr. Alvarez was called upon to do his civic duty in World War II. After proudly serving his country in the Army, Mr. Alvarez, returned to Laredo and rejoined American Customs Brokers Co., only to find Mr. Spindel in poor health. After a few years of deteriorating health, Mr. Spindel offered Mr. Alvarez to take over the business. Upon hearing this news and a time when there were only a handful of U.S. Customs Brokers in Laredo, Mr. Alvarez studied, took, and passed his U.S. Customs Broker exam in 1957. It was this year that J.O. Alvarez Co. was created.

As the years passed, and because his work ethic along with his charm and humor, Mr. Alvarez gained the respect of U.S. Customs officials, Mexican Customs Brokers and transportation executives. Before he knew it, he had formed long lasting friendships and important alliances.

In the 1970s, Mr. Alvarez’s sons and son-in-law, the 2nd Generation, began to receive their Customs Broker Licenses and joined the business. In 1981, J.O. Alvarez Co. became known as J.O. Alvarez, Inc. During this time Mr. Alvarez, his sons, and son-in-law continued to advance the company in the direction that it set out towards in 1957.

Roberto Garza-Gongora (1979)
Jose Oscar Alvarez, Jr. (1981)
Sergio Alvarez (1987)
Eduardo Alvarez (1987)

J.O. Alvarez, Inc. moved to a larger facility that was completed in 1982. Since then J. O. Alvarez, Inc. has expanded to include 9 locations along the U.S. / Mexico border, with 3 locations in Mexico, along with an extra 140,000 sq. ft. of additional warehouse storage.

Mr. Alvarez passed away in April 2000 at the age of 76. The passing of Mr. Alvarez left a large void in the company, but his sons and son-in-law were determined to continue the trail of success left by Mr. Alvarez – and that they did. With technological progress and customer satisfaction J.O. Alvarez, Inc. stayed at the cutting edge in the brokerage industry, always providing their customers with an unwavering level of personal attention and service. Over the years, with the 2nd Generation leading, the company grew and new branches offices were opened in Arizona, California and throughout Mexico.

Today, J.O. Alvarez, Inc. is led by Mr. Alvarez’s grandchildren, 3rd Generation, J.O. Alvarez, Inc. continues to be an essential partner to their clients and the international trade community by providing expert customs brokerage, distribution, freight forwarding and global logistics services through excellent customer service and innovative supply chain systems. At the helm, the 3rd Generation looks forward to continuing the legacy that was set forth by Mr. Alvarez 65+ years ago.

Company Profile

As a full service broker, J.O. Alvarez, Inc. will make certain your interests are protected every step of the way as your shipments cross the border and up until the goods reach the customer’s door. With agents through out the world, the foreign freight forwarding division of J.O. Alvarez, Inc. will coordinate your shipments through any country in the most cost efficient and professional manner.

Why J.O. Alvarez, Inc.?

proficient staff with over 65+ years of experience
closely monitoring and relaying information concerning your shipments
accommodates open channels of communication
going beyond what is expected
doing the job right, the first time
responsible and personal attention

Three in-house licensed Customs Brokers and an experienced staff of friendly people is always ready to help you. You can trust J.O. Alvarez, Inc. to assist you time after time. Each dedicated staff member is available to assist you. Employee turnover is almost non-existent at J.O. Alvarez, Inc. Your account executives are carefully chosen to assist you according to your specific needs. Be assured that these professionals will consistently be at your service. When working with J.O. Alvarez, Inc. our company becomes an extension of your company. You are represented by a well experienced family of licensed Customs Brokers. Respected throughout the United States and Mexico as pioneer/innovators in the import and export fields. Going before U.S. Customs officials and other governmental agency officials – protecting the rights of importers is our duty. Our customs brokerage professionals are well versed in the complex business of importing merchandise to and from the United States. This covers areas of transportation, merchandise classification, duty rates, assists, country of origin, marking, and the North American Free Trade Agreement. A close relationship is attained when working with J.O. Alvarez, Inc.; one which guarantees integrity, trust and loyalty. We have established long-term relationships with major government agencies: FDA, USDA, U.S. Customs, and Fish and Wildlife.

Licenses

Partners

To get from point A to point B, with all the complexity and international transactions involved, J.O. Alvarez, Inc. has developed partners to better suit your needs. Through us, or with their direct service, you can rest assured that together we make it happen.

Four Logistics, L.L.C.

Four Logistics develops tailored logistics services for all of our clients. Drawing their efforts towards the Mexican portion of logistics, they have grown to be experts in the field and offer the most competitive rates out there. Four Logistics has made it their goal to coordinate shipments among the most capable and reliable companies in Mexico.

S.E. Transport, L.L.C.

S.E. Transport works with the most reputable carriers in the North American industry to provide customers with the most competitive rates in the market. Their customer service efforts along with superior tracking capabilities make S.E. Transport the most innovative freight company to distribute goods throughout the nation.