Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020! A Look Back at Swift’s Year and What We Look Forward to Accomplishing in the New Decade

Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020! A Look Back at Swift’s Year and What We Look Forward to Accomplishing in the New Decade

Time flies, doesn’t it? It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the start of 2019, and now find ourselves preparing for 2020. A new decade is upon us! The best part of a new year is all the exciting beginnings that come along with it, making New Year’s resolutions, and looking forward to what the future holds.

As the clock strikes midnight and 2019 leaves our team with plenty of memories, we’d like to thank you for coming along on this incredible journey with us this year. We wanted to take a moment to look back on the year we’ve had at Swift and share what we hope to accomplish in 2020 and beyond. It’s time to raise a glass, reminisce, celebrate, and get excited for what lies ahead.

Goodbye 2019, hello 2020!

A Look Back at 2019 – Oh How We’ve Grown!

If we had to use one word to describe Swift’s 2019, it would be “growth”. This was a year where we really focused on growing the company in numerous different areas – increasing the size of our team with the right people, adding to the number of travel services we offer, moving our office into a larger space with a strategic location, and expanding our knowledge in order to better serve you, our customers. 

It’s true when they say, “the more the merrier!”. Earlier this year, we were fortunate enough to grow our staff by adding three amazing (and very talented) new team members. Together, they have a combined 25+ years of experience and they look forward to working with all of you.

Our old office space was becoming a little too cramped for our ever-growing team, so we relocated! In April, we moved into a larger office right next to the China consulate. Being next to the China consulate helps us to better serve those traveling to China and allowed us to triple our pickup services for China passport holders. 

One of the most important things our team achieved in 2019 was expanding our knowledge. We joined the Global Business Travel Association and attended four industry conferences, including the GBTA conference, which gave us the opportunity to learn from world-class educators in the travel industry and to network with industry-leading suppliers. We also decided to invest in our staff with ZingTrain training. ZingTrain has been helping businesses create more enjoyable places, and to be more effective and engaging for their customers and their staff for more than 25 years.

Finally, we added translation services to our repertoire. Our translation service is a necessity if you have a document that needs to be legally recognized in more than one language. Whether you need a birth certificate, marriage certificate, diploma, legal document, or business document translated, Swift has you covered and we’re happy we’re able to better serve our customers by providing this offering. 

Looking Toward the New Decade Ahead – Cheers to New Beginnings

The unknown can be scary and we didn’t want any unexpected surprises in 2020, so we went to a psychic… just kidding! But we do foresee a very promising start to the new decade for Swift. We’ve got plans, and trust us, they’re big. For starters, we will add a number of new services to our current offerings. These include biometric fingerprints, Schengen visa services, and ATA Carnet services.

In the next few months, Swift will be offering biometric fingerprinting services!  We will be an independent resource for fingerprinting collection and processing for both state and FBI background checks.  This will be a great resource for the Gold Coast neighborhood, we will be the first and only company offering this service in our zip code.  Biometric fingerprinting can be used for any of the following and more: doctors, nurses, people who work with children, colleges, and for various licenses such as a concealed carry.

While there are categories and nationals of countries that are privileged with entering the Schengen visa-free zone (this includes most of Europe), there are also other categories and nationals, which have to go through all the process of meeting requirements and attending interviews, in order to obtain a visa that grants them with the permission to enter the Schengen Area. The addition of Schengen visa services will save our customers a lot of time when trying to obtain a Schengen visa. Offering this service will help customers obtain a visa to the Schengen Area without having to go through all the trouble of working directly with the Consulate.  Swift will prepare your paperwork for submission, book an appointment at the Consulate for you, and shepherd you through the complicated visa process from start to finish.  

Starting in 2020, we will be offering ATA Carnet services to our customers. ATA Carnet is an international customs and temporary export-import document that is used to clear customs in 87 countries and territories without paying duties and import taxes on merchandise that will be re-exported within 12 months.

Other than our newly offered services, we are revamping our current website. The new (and improved) website will allow for easier navigation and an entirely streamlined customer experience. We’ll also have a new look that is entirely reflective of who Swift is as an organization; reliable, dedicated, giving, and always personable. Additions to our website will include a special e-visa section, customized form-fill options, a robust customer portal, and mobile-friendly tools to determine travel requirements (coming spring 2020).

Happy Holidays from Swift!

No matter where you’re celebrating this holiday season, we wish you happy holidays and safe travels. We have been so fortunate to work with each and every one of you this past year and really look forward to what all of 2020 (and beyond!) will present. Please feel free to contact us for all of your expedited passport and visa needs. Wherever you’re traveling, we’ll get you there!