About ITG
Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide the highest level of overall customer service and satisfaction in our industry. In order to accomplish this, we will learn, understand and address each customer's specific needs. Utilizing long-term Strategic Partnerships with the best-performing manufacturers and professional industry experts in the various disciplines, we will then develop the right procurement and logistics solution for each project. These relationships have endured for decades and shape the foundation of our business model.
We believe it is our responsibility to add value, through increased efficiencies and profitability, to our client's and suppliers businesses along with our own. Towards this end, we have adopted the Total Quality Management philosophy of doing business, to create a constancy of purpose for improving all products and services.
We will improve constantly and forever every process for planning, production and service. We incorporate on-the-job training, continuing education and performance incentives to maintain a dedicated team of highly trained and motivated service professionals. This helps enable us to perform as accurately, efficiently and ethically as possible, with the end result being customer satisfaction with value added.
ITG History
Marvin L Sokolow started Marvin's Truck Parts in 1948 following his Military Service. He specialized in procuring shiploads of Military Surplus parts, equipment and heavy machinery, directly from the WWII & Korean War theatres, which he reconditioned and re-painted livery colors for sale to Latin America and the Caribbean. Marvin worked directly with the US Government in this endeavor, along with Heads of State and business leaders in nearly every country in the region who became Marvin's customers and friends. Marvin's Truck Parts grew and was soon renamed Gold Coast Equipment, which more appropriately reflected the company's location on Florida's Gold Coast and his primary business activities.
Mark Sokolow joined his father in 1970, making Gold Coast a family business. Mark soon began to travel the region for his father and by the end of the decade, had helped to successfully transition Gold Coast to include direct distribution of all construction and building materials required to execute horizontal and vertical construction projects. With the added focus on distribution, Mark identified a number of voids in the marketplace into which ITG could grow. The 1980's brought with it multiple opportunities for diversified market expansion to include distribution of branded building materials; heavy equipment; food, beverages and hospitality supply, along with coordinated technical services. This led to another name change to Gold Coast Supplies and Equipment Ltd and the formation of a vertically integrated group of companies in the US and throughout the Caribbean/Latam Region. At different times during this period, Gold Coast Supplies and our offshore subsidiaries held exclusive distribution rights for major global brands such as U.S. Gypsum, Armstrong World Industries, Allis Chalmers, PGT Windows and Doors, Plaza Door, CGI Windows and Doors, Haagen Dazs, Ben & Jerry's, Tom's Snack Foods, Corona Beer, Southern Wines & Spirits, Monier Roof Tiles, ClosetMaid, El Aguila Roof Tiles, General Electric, and many others too numerous to list. We also opened our own freight consolidation, freight forwarding and customs brokerage companies throughout the region, in order to control the quality of service for the large & diverse volumes of freight generated by our distribution businesses. ITG grew our local bricks and mortar activities to include new local dealer/installers for many of our lines throughout the region.
The 90's brought more growth and another name change, along with a refocusing of our local business involvement in the region. In response to the growing capabilities of local businessmen to enter into some of our service, we formed strategic partnerships which allowed us to divest most of our local businesses to our local partners and others, enabling ITG to focus exclusively on construction supplies and services. In 1995 Gold Coast Supplies & Equipment Ltd was renamed International Trading Group, Inc (ITG Group of Companies). Our Brazilian sawmill manufacturing and lumber distribution company Timber Resources Ltd, was formed in 1994 and later mereged with ITG as part of the ITG Group of Companies. And ITG Strategic partners was born.
Shortly thereafter, Marissa Sokolow (Stangl) joined ITG, followed a few years later by her brother Matt. And while various family members have worked in the family businesses over the years, this team of Mark, Marissa and Matt tenaciously persevered to bring ITG into the 21st century.
The new Millennium brought with it a streamlined approach to conducting business internationally, with a focus on each clients needs based on their specific project demands. Matt added his expertise of systems and Systems Management to keep us on the cutting edge of technology. Marissa streamlined ITG's product lines and services to meet the the continually changing accessibility of information and resources.
Today and the future
The company was operated by Mark, Marissa, and Matt until January 2015, when Mark retired after 45 years. Shortly thereafter, Matt had the opportunity to follow his dream of managing a large corporate computer network, moving on to set up and become the USA System's Administrator for Hear.com, a division of Aubidene/Sivantos with over 6,000 employees globally.
The 70+ year family legacy continues through Marissa, representing the next generation of our evolution. In early 2015 Marissa started ITG Export and Design, choosing to follow the family tradition by serving a discerning clientele of ultra-high-end developers, contractors and individuals. Her latest project was the Kimpton Starfire on Grand Cayman, a $200Million multi-year project which opened in late 2016.
Mark now acts as a consultant and factory rep, providing solutions by leveraging his 45 years of local experience and relationships throughout the hemisphere.