GREEN LINE CO.

Overview
Ups-and-downs: is how life goes. But for Sherif Tantawy, his ups and downs had helped him work his way up for success. For over four decades, the founder and the CEO of Green Line Logistics, Sherif Tantawy has gained real, hands-on experience in each service his company is providing today. From trading in heavy goods to logistics and international shipping services–Green Line Logistics has been pioneering the global market since 1973.

However, the story started much earlier than that; With the excitement and determination of Sherif Tantawy in his early twenties, driving cars across Europe to seal business deals; From there, the story had started to peak and grow.

Sherif Tantawy: A self-made man in his own pace
At the time when self-employment was uncommon, Sherif Tantawy was keen on running his own projects. Surfing against the tide, he reveals: “I’m a self-made man who loves thinking out of the box, only to bring up solutions and achievements.”

Extremely dedicated to building his own business, Tantawy had already rolled up his sleeves and experienced the challenges as well as the market changes by himself throughout a long, enduring journey.

How it all began
Studied Commerce in Egypt, Tantawy used to spend his summer vacations in Europe, for his business trades. That was in the late 1960s. The 22-year-old Mercedes lover was hitting the roads in the West to select and buy used vehicles of the best brands and of good state. He shipped and sold them later in targeted markets, across Europe.

That project was extended to Egypt subsequently, as Tantawy became renowned for managing a whole business on his own; selling exceptional cars, which he had also imported from Europe.

But the death incident of Sherif Tantawy’s father turned the scale; it made him give up his plans of moving to and living in Europe back then–and there, he started the extra mile in his journey.

Tantawy did not only succeed in accomplishing his late father’s projects–but he also fulfilled his military service before starting his own. The father of three young men today recalls that time and says: “Those circumstances created out of me a more dedicated, family person that I had never been before.”

Entrepreneur to the core
In 1975, Sherif Tantawy established the International Trade Company for Import and Export. He renamed it, Green Line, a few years later. One initial project was in international trading of specific types of papers; Importing them in Egypt and submitting the batches that comply with the quality standards to public and private tenders.

His passion has always guided him in shaping plans and driving success.

But that was not the case when Tantawy lost his competition in a government tender even before his enrolment. Although that loss endangered his business capital, Tantawy has always felt gratitude to the intimidating winner: The paper market leader, Youssef Allam.

“Allam taught me an unforgettable lesson,” he remembers. “I learned the market filters out the less competitive businesses more frequently than one can imagine. But at that time, I was deceived by small victories rather than analyzing my market positioning or my business size–that illusion encountered an unforgettable loss. However, I have never regretted my decisions,” says the risk-taker.

No surrender, no retreat
Although he could set a lucrative business in the paper trade, Sherif was aspiring to position his brand in the market away from the crowd. His networks and connections in Egypt and abroad helped him establish a unique tradeline in the woods industry that flourished for years afterward.

Specifically centered in Damietta governorate, Sherif used to import from Europe the most demanded kinds of wood piles, while exporting Egyptian-made furniture to any place worldwide.

But again, winds blow counter to what ships desire. The Gulf War in 1991, imposed a huge loss on Tantawy’s wood trading business that he had to stop all projects since then and scratch a new beginning.

Green Line Logistics: Five-star international shipping service provider
“The crisis made me think more globally. It made me think of services rather than goods. I knew what misses the shipping services in the global market to prosper. And I recognize that like the back of my hands — and here came my chance to create the edge I always dreamed of,” says the CEO and Founder of Green Line, today’s top leading service provider in logistics and international shipping.

Sherif Tantawy’s story implies a lot to learn beyond the words: It elaborates persistence and patience that entrepreneurs need to learn and follow nowadays. This loveable grandfather has also succeeded in passing his experience down in heritage and establishing a diverse family business.

Like father, like son
Pioneers in logistics, international freight, and transportation services, Green Line Logistics is growing, even more, today but by the hands of the young Tantawys: Karim, Hany, and Omar. Domestic shipping as well as integrated marketing, branding, and communications services are now on the table as well.

The Tantawys have developed deep-rooted experience by following their father’s footprints. And today, they are sustaining the rapport of Green Line Logistics, the vision that the always-ambitious Sherif Tantawy has crafted for more than 40 years.