Pilot Freight Services Acquires Five Franchise Stations in Strategic Markets
Pilot Freight Services (Pilot), a worldwide provider of transportation and logistics services, has acquired five franchise stations in strategic markets in the Midwest and along the US and Mexico border.
Pilot Freight Services (Pilot), a worldwide provider of transportation and logistics services, has acquired five franchise stations in strategic markets in the Midwest and along the US and Mexico border. Effective July 1, 2020, the franchises will be seamlessly integrated into Pilot’s corporate organization with no disruption in service offerings or senior management.
The franchises, located in Wisconsin, Texas and Mexico, were attractive assets due to strong historical growth and operational performance. They also serve to enhance client-focused solutions for the automotive, healthcare, home furnishings, industrial products and packaging industries. The acquisitions further enhance Pilot’s operational control over its nationwide network. By bringing the operations along the US and Mexico border in-house, Pilot further improves its ability to provide seamless trade solutions for cross-border clients. The leadership and employees of the franchises will join the Pilot organization as part of the transactions.
Backed by ATL Partners and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), Pilot has acquired 25 franchise locations over the last three years and completed the acquisition of last mile logistics provider, Manna Freight Systems, in 2018. As a result of these acquisitions, nearly 90% of Pilot’s locations are company owned.
“So much of Pilot’s success is grounded in the strength and expertise of our team members. Acquiring franchises with a record of strong performance and growth, adds to the stability and growth trajectory for Pilot in both domestic and global sales,” explains Gordon Branov, chief executive officer of Pilot Freight Services. “We are happy to welcome long term franchisees to the Pilot corporate team, and we are confident they will play instrumental roles in the long-term growth of the company.”
Throughout 2020, Pilot’s business-to-consumer home delivery segment, which focuses on heavy and hard to handle (H3D) goods, has experienced significant growth driven by increasing consumer demand and e-commerce penetration as well as the addition of new clients seeking an elevated customer experience. As business activity has begun to scale back up both in the US and internationally, Pilot has seen domestic business-to-business volumes recover to exceed prior year levels and has experienced significant growth in global freight movements in recent months. Overall, Pilot is looking forward to a strong 2020 with growth across all product lines.
ABOUT PILOT FREIGHT SERVICES
Pilot Freight Services, Inc. is an award-winning full-service transportation and logistics provider with 90 locations throughout North America. Pilot also has several locations in Western Europe and a presence in the Asia-Pacific marketplace. The company’s freight forwarding services encompass every mode of transportation, including air, ground and ocean, serving all corners of the globe. Pilot’s full mile and final mile home delivery solutions for heavy and hard to handle goods include value-added service offerings such as white glove, assembly and installation. Pilot’s logistics programs offer a complete line of expedited and time-definite services, international shipping solutions, product warehousing and inventory management. In addition, Pilot’s online shipment navigator, CoPilot, makes online shipping fast, convenient and secure. In 2018, Pilot adopted Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation as their national philanthropy partner raising funds company-wide for treatments and cures for children battling cancer. Learn more about Pilot Freight Services at www.PilotDelivers.com.
ABOUT ATL PARTNERS
Founded in 2014, ATL Partners is a premier sector-focused private equity firm that invests in aerospace, transportation and logistics companies. ATL brings deep sector expertise to its investment approach with nine investment professionals and six Executive Board members who have decades of combined operating experience in each of ATL’s core sectors. For more information about ATL Partners, visit www.atlpartners.com.
ABOUT BCI
With C$171.3 billion of managed assets as of March 31, 2020, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation is a leading provider of investment management services to British Columbia’s public sector and one of Canada’s largest asset managers. BCI generates investment returns that help their institutional clients build a financially secure future. With a global outlook, BCI seeks investment opportunities that convert savings into productive capital that meet their clients’ risk/return requirements over time. BCI invests across a range of asset classes: fixed income; mortgages; public and private equity; real estate; infrastructure; and renewable resources. BCI’s private equity program, valued at C$17.9 billion, is focused on direct investments in industrials, technology, consumer/retail, healthcare, as well as financial and business services. For more information about BCI, please visit www.bci.ca.
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