Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc., a 97-year old logistics provider, has been granted national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.

The Women’s Business Enterprise NationalCouncil is the nation’s largest third party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States. WBENC is a resource for the more than 700 US companies and government agencies that rely on WBENC’s certification as an integral part of their supply diversity program. WBENC’s national standard of certification implemented by the WPEO is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women.

What was once a male-dominated industry, the logistics field is now thoroughly diversified, with many women in high-level, executive positions. Margie Shapiro became Samuel Shapiro & Company’s Owner, President and CEO after acquiring the company from her father, Sig Shapiro, in 2002, making it a third generation family-owned business. Samuel Shapiro,
Margie’s grandfather, opened the company’s doors in 1915 with the desire of providing a single point of contact for all of its customers’ logistics needs. Since then, Margie has cultivated the company’s focus on providing personalized, old-fashioned customer service, but also on expanding its reach from being recognized not only as one of the country’s most respected Customhouse brokers, but also a leader in the freight forwarding field.

Shapiro began its WBENC certification process in late spring 2012 and achieved official certification on October 31, 2012. The company will now be among many other certified women-owned businesses, working with WBENC members, which in turn, demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and the continued development of their supply/vendor diversity program. “I am honored to have Shapiro join the WBENC alongside many inspiring, successful companies,” said Shapiro. “We look forward to collaborating and working with our fellow council and its corporate members.”

For more information on WBENC, please visit http://www.wbenc.org/