Kuehne + Nagel Purchases Commodity Forwarders
Kuehne + Nagel Inc., a multinational third-party logistics firm, has purchased Los Angeles-based Commodity Forwarders Inc., an airfreight forwarder of perishable goods in the United States.
“All parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price,” Kuehne + Nagle said in a statement, referring to the Commodity Forwarders deal and another involving Trillvane Ltd. of Kenya, Africa.
CFI founder Alfred Kuehlewind began as a one-man office in Los Angeles, shipping strawberries to Europe. Today, it operates 14 U.S. locations with more than 700 employees, specializing in airfreight exports and imports and the distribution of seafood, agricultural products, flowers and greens.
“We are looking forward to become part of the Kuehne + Nagel Group,” Kuehlewind said. “The planned transaction will offer us new growth perspectives and access to a global logistics network. Both companies’ customers will benefit from an extended service scope.”
“Together with CFI, Kuehne + Nagel becomes the No. 2 airfreight forwarder in the United States, and the acquisition of Trillvane confirms our leading position in Kenya,” said Yngve Ruud, a member of the management board of Kuehne + Nagel International AG. “These two transactions further strengthen and expand our fresh chain network connecting key production countries to major consumer markets. The business potential in the steadily growing global perishable sector is huge.”
Kuehne + Nagel, whose U.S. division based in Jersey City, N.J., ranks No. 11 on the Transport Topics Top 50 list of the largest logistics companies in North America. It ranks behind DHL Supply Chain among the Transport Topics top airfreight forwarders.
