Personnel Profiles
Dedication to our Founder, Bill Flegenheimer
Bill Flegenheimer founded Flegenheimer International in 1977 and began specializing in perishable shipments entering the port of Los Angeles. He was the first broker to introduce 24 hour service and maintained a staff around the clock. This allowed the safe handling of perishable freight at all hours of the day. In this way, perishable commodities left at the airport would be immediately moved to cold storage or their ultimate destination to avoid the spoiling of product. This saved importers thousands of dollars, lowered their risk and increased their turnover. His unique understanding of the business allowed him to create a specialized service for perishable commodities.
Later the company added an ocean freight department and export department. He was a member of the LA Customs Broker Association for 30 years and a member of the board for over 10 years. He has also sat on the board of several distinguished associations and committees like the US Food and Drug Administration, LAX Airport Committee, the National Fisheries Institute, California Fisheries and Seafood Institute and various government agency committees and groups. Flegenheimer International became a recognized pioneer in the international freight industry. Over his 50-year history Bill was a respected leader of many of the industry associations.
Bill Flegenheimer passed away at the age of 80, surrounded by his family on June 23, 2024. Bill was a native Californian, a devoted husband, father, grandfather and Harley Davidson enthusiast. He was a Vietnam veteran with the 120th Aviation Company and a UH-I “Huey” Crew Chief and Door Gunner. He earned an Air Medal with “V” denoting acts of valor or heroism.
Today he is the inspiration for all of his employees and associates. His wife Lorraine Flegenheimer (CFO for the company) and his son Rod Flegenheimer (President) carry-on Bills legacy providing their clients, employees and industry partners with the same kind of integrity, reliability and innovation that Bill began nearly 50 years ago.
Rod Flegenheimer
President
Rod Flegenheimer is in the “Team Leader” for the Air Freight Department at Flegenheimer International. He is a licensed Customs Broker and Certified Customs Specialist. His responsibilities are to ensure that freight is cleared through U.S. Customs, FDA and the other appropriate government agencies in tariff code regulations and duty assessment. He works with his team in providing 24-hour service at Los Angeles Airport. The Air Freight Department maintains strict performance criteria that includes timely processing, 100% file accuracy, and proactive communications. They measure these performance standards on a weekly basis and team members pride themselves in continually beating their own performance. Rod and his team are totally committed to consistently exceeding client’s expectations and getting their products cleared through Customs and the other government agencies quickly and with no hang-ups. If you have any questions regarding air freight issues, please do not hesitate to call Rod or one of his team members.
Lorraine Flegenheimer
CFO
Born and raised in England, Lorraine Flegenheimer still cherishes her close ties to family there, including her son, daughter, and six wonderful grandchildren. Her journey took a life-changing turn in 1988 when she met Bill while visiting California and the two got married that same year.
Together, Bill and Lorraine built Flegenheimer International, starting with a small team of seven in an office in Inglewood. She took on roles in accounting and HR, helping the company grow. In 2000, the company purchased a building in El Segundo and moved their office, expanding to a team of 20.
Today Flegenheimer International remains headquartered in El Segundo, near LAX, with a thriving staff of 30 employees. While Lorraine now lives in Fallbrook, near San Diego, she works from home and regularly visits the office to stay connected. Her focus is on supporting Rod as President and continuing to contribute to the success of the company.
Sonia Medina
General Manager
Sonia Medina has been with Flegenheimer International since 1986. As a licensed Customs Broker and Certified Customs Specialist she is a member of the National Customs and Freight Forwarders Association. These affiliations ensure that she remains current on all the new rules, regulations and changes that occur in the Los Angeles, Long Beach and LAX ports. In her 27 years working with the company, Sonia has experienced many of challenges and problems that importers face, which has given her a diverse amount of valuable knowledge and experience that she shares with customers. This has helped importers navigate the complicated regulatory landscape with minimal delays.
Hazel Cua-Ing
Compliance Manager
Hazel Cua-Ing is currently the Compliance Manager at Flegenheimer International. She guides and strengthens the company’s procedural efficiency and compliance by developing employee training programs, keeping the company abreast of regulatory changes, and managing risks. Her team is responsible for onboarding new customers and providing regulatory advice.
Hazel has led the participation of Flegenheimer to several ACE pilot programs during the initial stages of ACE implementation with CBP and PGAs. She participated in several sub-committees for Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC).
She is a Licensed Customs Broker and a Certified Customs Specialist. Her passion for the industry started 18 years ago with her first brokerage job that she landed right after obtaining her BS Degree in Legal Management and International Business.
Janet Closs
Operations Manager
Janet is a licensed Customs broker who has been in the customs brokerage and freight forwarding industry for more than 20 years. She received her license in 2005 and joined Flegenheimer International in 2020. Her experience ranges from freight forwarding to Customs brokerage to arranging final mile delivery. At Flegenheimer International, Janet is overseeing Air & Ocean brokerage teams and continuously seeks to drive efficiencies in the brokerage operations team.
Janet earned her MBA in International Business from CSU Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA and her BS Communications from St. John’s University in New York.
The Flegenheimer Team
