STRONGSVILLE, Ohio, Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Veroot, a compliance operating platform backed by hands-on regulatory experts, today announced that Gene Mack International, Inc. has earned Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) certification from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Fullerton, California brokerage is named for its founder, licensed customs broker Gene Charles Mack.

This is the firm’s second time in the program. Mack first joined CTPAT in 2005 and withdrew during the financial crisis, when import volume evaporated, and client interest in the program waned. He restarted the process earlier this year, months before the June 2026 Executive Order reset expectations across the trade and was certified in July.

Mack, who founded the brokerage as a sole proprietorship in 1996 and works only with direct importers, said the decision came down to protecting relationships he spent decades building.

“Nothing is guaranteed in business,” Mack said. “We have very strong relationships with our clients. But the day could come when someone walks in the door and says they can do everything we do and they’re CTPAT certified too. I wanted to make sure that conversation never starts.”

The Executive Order made that decision look better than he expected. It raised the bar for foreign importers of record, and two of Mack’s clients bring goods in through subsidiaries with no U.S. presence. Those clients now work with a certified broker while the industry waits for CBP to clarify what the order’s language on U.S. assets will require in practice.

The program he came back to was not the one he left. Getting certified in 2005 took a full-time hire and six months of work. Mack expected something similar this time. Reading through the current Minimum Security Criteria, he found a program that had grown past anything he could take on himself.

“I looked at it and thought, this is far beyond what it was before,” he said. “That’s when I started looking for someone who could help me do this.”

Veroot already had the security profile documents and inspection checklists built. Mack files entries and never handles cargo, so Veroot’s CTPAT experts cut most of the criteria out before he ever saw them.

“I had gone through it manually before, so I had something to compare it to,” Mack said. “This time the process was smooth and frankly quite easy. I wanted a turnkey operation that I still take part in, with the tedious work off my shoulders.”

Certification is not the end of that work. Periodic facility, cybersecurity, and camera inspections have to be completed and documented. Regulatory changes have to be tracked and applied. Mack said having someone else track that calendar is what keeps it manageable.

“CTPAT is not the highest priority in my mind. My customers are,” he said. “Knowing someone will tell me what needs to be done and when means I can just do it. Remembering it is a different issue.”

Joe Hurst, President of Veroot, said Mack’s case is common among small brokerages.

“The requirements have grown, the documentation is heavier, and the people running these firms are doing compliance work on top of a full day of client work,” Hurst said. “A tool by itself doesn’t fix that, and neither does a consultant who hands you a binder and leaves. Our team builds the record and keeps it current. The broker stays in control of it and can produce it on demand.”

About Gene Mack International

Gene Mack International is a licensed customs brokerage in Fullerton, California, specializing in complex commodity and Foreign Trade Zone compliance. Founded in 1996, the firm works directly with importers on entry filing, customs bonds, protests and petitions, and offers regulatory advisory services. Its practice covers CBP regulations and the 42 Partner Government Agencies whose requirements CBP enforces, built on more than 40 years in airline cargo management, domestic transportation, and customs brokerage. Every entry is overseen by a licensed customs broker, not an entry clerk, an account manager, or a freight forwarder. Learn more at genemack.com.

About Veroot

Veroot simplifies global logistics and trade compliance for the companies that make, move, and store the world’s goods. Compliance teams get one system of record built to manage complex regulatory frameworks across jurisdictions, agencies, and operating requirements. TSA, CTPAT, FMCSA, DOT, AEO, cybersecurity, and more are managed in one place. Veroot combines its software with an integrated team of trade and customs experts who provide advisory, implementation, and managed services. The result is compliance that stays organized, current, and audit ready. Your data, our experts. More than 2,500 companies choose Veroot.


Media Contact: Jennie Malafarina jennie.malafarina@veroot.com 216-562-9082

Media gallery

About The Author
Veroot