Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Crowley Expands with Acquisition of Puerto Rico Freight Systems

Crowley Maritime Corporation has announced the acquisition of the business and assets of Puerto Rico Freight Systems (PRFS), a Guaynabo, Puerto Rico-based logistics company specializing in freight consolidation and less than container load (LCL) transportation throughout the Caribbean.

The PRFS business will become a part of Crowley Caribbean Logistics LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Crowley, and will continue to operate from its existing headquarters under the leadership of Ayesha Diaz, director of Crowley's Caribbean logistics group, who reports to Carlos Rice, Crowley's vice president of logistics operations. Michael Padilla, owner of PRFS, will remain in a consulting role.

"Adding the business and assets of Puerto Rico Freight Systems to the Crowley family strengthens our position as a total shipping and logistics provider on the island and in the Caribbean," says Tom Crowley Jr., chairman, president and CEO of Crowley. "The acquisition will allow us to offer customers more complete solutions targeted to their needs."

PRFS, which has 46 employees, including office personnel and warehouse workers, coordinates shipments from Europe, Central and South America, Asia and the United States to Puerto Rico, and more than 19 destinations throughout the Caribbean Basin. The company provides pick-up service throughout Puerto Rico for LCL and full container load (FCL) shipments and one-carrier responsibility for all Caribbean destinations.

Other PRFS services include risk insurance, documentation, bills of lading to the Caribbean from international origins, hazardous material (HAZMAT) handling and shipping, US Customs bonded cartman's licensing, container freight station services, and more. The company also operates a protected US Customs bonded container station warehouse comprised of 51,000 square feet in the San Juan Free Trade Zone, which gives the company the versatility of a domestic freight station within the security of a free trade zone. The facility is specially designed to handle oversized cargo and employees use a triple-check system to ensure shipment accuracy. All of these services will be continued under the Crowley Caribbean Logistics name.

"This strategic acquisition [of Puerto Rico Freight Systems] helps to solidify Crowley as a market leader in the region, a benefit that will translate into better solutions for customers," said Steve Collar, senior vice president and general manager of Crowley's logistics group.

The PRFS acquisition is the latest in a series by Crowley designed to provide customers with more transportation and logistics options.

In September 2010, Crowley acquired Islandwide Air and Ocean to offer customers ocean and air transportation, trucking, transportation management and warehouse services in Puerto Rico. With the addition of Islandwide, Crowley is able to offer less-than-container-load (LCL) freight transportation from the US mainland to Puerto Rico from the company's Miami and Jacksonville warehouses, as well as from a new consolidation center in the Northeast. In January of this year, Crowley acquired Jarvis Freight International, Inc., a Houston-based freight forwarding, export packing and logistics company primarily serving the energy, oilfield and mining industries. The addition expanded Crowley's logistics services to new industries and geographic areas.


-PMM Staff