Interview with Clint Reid, CEO, Zonos
This article is part of a series featuring business executives who choose to live and work in Utah. If you know of an executive we should interview, please contact us.
Put yourself in the shoes of an international shopper who purchased socks. Jump to a few days after making your purchase. You get an invoice from customs for the tariffs and taxes. Your country’s customs department says they won’t release your order for delivery until you pay the amount owed. This is a common problem customer’s often encounter with global trade and e-commerce.
Clint Reid founded Zonos in 2010, a St. George-based technology company working to solve the many complexities of global trade. The company streamlines complexities of global trade by providing the best cross-border solutions, making it easier for consumers to make purchases outside their own country.
Zonos software enhances the international buying experience, making it as easy or even easier than shopping domestically. It partners with logistics companies and trade organizations to create the right solution for anyone. The company strives to decode cross-border transactions.
The Zonos mission is to create trust in global trade, and the team of 40 “Zonuts” is working to make this happen.
How did you get started in the industry?
For six years, I learned the ins and outs of imports working at United Parcel Service and DHL in their international sales department. After visiting a customer who was unwilling to sell internationally, I concluded the primary barrier to global growth is technology to calculate customs tariffs and tax for e-commerce companies, not logistics. I founded Zonos to solve these problems.
What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
When we rebranded to Zonos, we held an event at Tech Ridge in St. George with hundreds in attendance. We also live-streamed the event, and over a thousand customers and partners watched.
I am also extremely proud to be the industry leader in cross-border technology, serving more customers than any of our competitors.
What drew you to Utah?
I am a native of the Wasatch Front and grew up in South Jordan. However, the stunning landscapes and outdoor lifestyle pulled my family and me to southern Utah. I don’t think you can pick a bad spot to live in all of Utah. The entire state is incredible.
What do you like most about living in Utah?
I love raising my family in Utah. The kind and caring people in Utah make this state home for my wife and our five kids.
What do you like most about doing business in Utah?
The best part of doing business in Utah is learning from others in the tech community. Silicon Slopes has helped create an environment that allows us to collaborate and improve what we do and how we do it.
What words of wisdom do you have for entrepreneurs or business owners?
If you are genuinely solving hard problems, you need to be in it for the long haul because those problems won’t be solved overnight. Persistence and patience are a powerful combo.
What is your primary challenge of doing business in Utah?
We are a global products company. Sometimes the international perception of Utah companies is we are not as large as our competitors in New York, San Francisco or Dublin, but we can compete with the best of them.
What is your personal business philosophy?
Be authentic with your team and your customers. Don’t forget you are a member of the team, and the heavy lifting is everyone’s job.
Tell me a fun fact about yourself.
I have seen every Star Trek episode — probably twice. Star Trek teaches you how to care about different people and cultures and to have principles.
Connect with him on LinkedIn.