1990
s when Customs inspectors dropped
by to perform a surprise audit. “Of course,
we were on pins and needles the whole
time,” Murray recalled. “But we got 100
percent. We were told no one has ever
gotten 100 percent before. The reason was
Curt and Joan knew what Customs would
be looking for and I knew how to put it
together, to make it happen. That’s how
we ran the business.”
In the beginning, C J’s Baltimore
operation accounted for more than 50
percent of the company’s business. Now
—
having expanded into Indiana, Kentucky,
Ohio and Texas over the last 20 years —
C J counts on Baltimore to generate between
35
and 40 percent of revenue. “It’s become
a friendly competition,” Murray said with a
smile. “Baltimore vs. the Midwest.”
Along with handling most of the
sales and marketing for C J’s East Coast
operations, Murray is a Customs Compliance
Officer and must stay on top of new rules
and regulations. “The Modernization Act
has shifted the responsibility for correct
transactions from Customs to the importing
community,” she offered as an example.
“
We have to work harder and longer to
achieve the same results.”
The most satisfying part of the busi-
ness, according to Murray, has been “build-
ing C J from the ground up and dealing
with clients we enjoy working with. A lot of
our current clients are those who started
with us in the first year of business.”
Murray noted that continued
growth is a company goal, but
C J “will try to maintain the
‘
smaller office’ structure so
we can maintain a close
relationship with all our
clients.”
Meanwhile, the nine-person Baltimore
staff, which works out of a historic church
building purchased from the Salvation
Army in 1993, will be heading to Louisville
later this year for a companywide holiday
party and silver anniversary celebration.
To all of the businesspeople with
whom C J has come in contact over the
last quarter-century, Murray would like to
say, “Thank you for putting up with me.”
“
Never in a million years did I think I’d
be where I am now,” she noted. “Here it
is, 25 years later, we’re in business, we’re
successful, we have a great relationship
with the Port and Customs. …
It’s very satisfying.”
“
Our employees, everyone in C J, have always
been willing to go above and beyond to provide
the best possible service to our import and
export clients.”
~
Samya D. Murray
KATHY BERGREN SMITH
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF C J INTERNATIONAL