CPG-ASF-Merger

Press Release: ContainerPort Group and ASF Transportation Group Announce Merger

CLEVELAND, OH – January 4, 2018 – ContainerPort Group, Inc. (CPG) and ASF Transportation Group, LLC (ASF) are pleased to announce a merging of the two enterprises effective January 1, 2018. The combination of CPG and ASF will form an intermodal drayage powerhouse with over 1,300 power units in most key markets east of the Rockies.

Michael Smith, founder and president of ASF Transportation, will move forward as President of ContainerPort Group, Inc. “We began a search process nearly two years ago to retire the late Russ Graef, who was a veteran of our company for 45 years,” said Fred Hunger, CPG’s Chairman. “Michael brings exactly the type of hands-on, genuine, and no-ego type of management style which we were patiently looking to bring to the organization. His executive leadership from the transportation space, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit is a perfect combination to lead our now 1,300 plus strong fleet, and our Midwest intermodal depot locations.”

CPG & ASF 2018 Network Map

CPG & ASF 2018 Network Map

“Kudos go out to Tim McNamara, head of the Transportation Infrastructure Practice at global search firm of Odgers Berndtson, who led the search process,” said Hunger. Prior to ASF, Michael worked with Southern Cal Transport, and also many years with Schneider National.

ASF Transportation – comprised of ASF Intermodal, ASF Truckload, ASF Brokerage, and Middle Bay Transportation – brings a fleet of nearly 600 independent contractors and a very talented group of managers, dispatchers, customer service and support teams to the combined enterprise. “We are very excited to join the CPG team in blending our respective strengths into a dominant force in the intermodal drayage space,” said Michael Smith. “Our strengths as a South, mid-Atlantic, and US Gulf operator are a great strategic fit to CPG’s strengths in the Midwest, mid and North Atlantic markets.”

The combined company, to be operated under the ContainerPort Group brand, will be comprised of 24 terminals, 1,300 plus trucks, and over 400 professionals. With this merger, the company remains focused on providing superior service to fulfill customers’ needs in intermodal drayage, depot, truckload and brokerage operations.

The merger involves only the Intermodal/Transportation arm of the ASF Group. The Forwarding/Ocean Division, trading as ASF Logistics and ASF Global, will remain independent and under the existing management structure.

The combination is effective January 1, 2018 – and the two companies will work, in parallel, until such time as it can provide for an orderly combination of the operations.

ContainerPort Group, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio is a leading service provider to the containerized cargo shipping industry and is celebrating its 47th year of operation. Today, CPG provides intermodal container trucking, inland CY Terminal and transloading operations, warehousing and logistics, and container repair, modification, sale and rental services.

 

About ASF

Based in Mobile, Alabama, ASF Intermodal is a full-service drayage provider and full transportation broker focused on providing common cargo, flat racks and overweight load freight services throughout the Southeastern United States through a strong network of import/export triangulations and port-to-door trucking. Services provided by ASF Intermodal include vendor management, chassis management, import/export triangulation, cargo management and flow optimization, transport management, cross-docking, trans-loading and distribution.

About ContainerPort Group

ContainerPort Group, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a leading provider of services to the container shipping industry and is celebrating over forty-five years of operation.  CPG provides both motor carrier services and terminal services (container depot, CY, equipment maintenance) to ocean carriers, railroads, shippers/receivers, and freight intermediaries.  CPG operates facilities and terminals in twenty distinct geographic markets throughout the Midwest, Ohio Valley, Northeast, Southeast and Gulf regions.

For more information, please visit www.containerport.com

CONTACT:

Michael Smith
Email: Michael.Smith@containerport.com
Tel: 251-287-8152

CPG Houston

ContainerPort Group expands intermodal network into Houston, Texas

CLEVELAND, OH – May 26, 2017 – ContainerPort Group, Inc. (CPG) expands its drayage network into Houston, Texas officially on May 15, 2017. Port Houston handles roughly two-thirds of the region’s container trade and positions CPG to exceed customer demands, with their drayage terminal strategically placed between the two main ports, Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Bayport Container Terminal. The recent developments with the Panama Canal expansion allows for larger berth vessels to bypass the West Coast ports in favor of Gulf Coast terminals with better access to destinations.

With over 45 years of intermodal experience, CPG is more excited than ever to add more capacity to their growing logistics footprint. Senior VP of Commercial, Jim Kramer states, “CPG follows the needs of their customers and we have seen a strong increase in demand for drayage in the South. We are proud to extend our company’s service offerings into the Gulf region, and our dedicated team of highly experienced professionals are ready to fulfill this demand.”

Kramer added, “This strategic expansion allows our customers to use a drayage provider in Houston that they already trust and serves them well in other regions. CPG now has more capacity to handle their growth, and we are happy to offer more lanes to get their cargo where it needs to go.”

The Houston terminal offers all of CPG’s intermodal solutions and significant advantages to support its valued customers’ supply chains, and is conveniently located at:

ContainerPort Group, Inc.
1600 South 16th Street
La Porte, TX 77571
E: cpghou@containerport.com
Tel: 281-972-5557
Slader Atkinson, Regional Director-Gulf
CPG Houston Webpage

About ContainerPort Group
ContainerPort Group, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a leading provider of services to the container shipping industry and is celebrating over forty-five years of operation. CPG provides both motor carrier services and terminal services (container depot, CY, equipment maintenance) to ocean carriers, railroads, shippers/receivers, and freight intermediaries. CPG operates facilities and terminals in nineteen distinct geographic markets throughout the Midwest, Ohio Valley, Northeast, Southeast and Gulf regions.

CONTACT:
James R. Kramer
Tel: 440-895-8145
Email: jim.kramer@containerport.com

CONTACT:
Jenna Porostosky
Tel: 440-895-8228
Email: marketing@containerport.com

CPG Opens in Memphis

ContainerPort Group Expands Operations into Memphis, Tennessee

CLEVELAND, OH – March 30, 2017 – ContainerPort Group, Inc. (CPG) is pleased to announce the opening of its newest terminal location in Memphis, Tennessee.

CPG expands into Memphis with access to the world through its central location and world-class transportation infrastructure. It is an ideal area for CPG’s intermodal drayage, with strong rail and road presence. Memphis is one of only four U.S. cities to be served by five Class I railroads and holds the 4th largest inland port in the US.

The new terminal location is positioned near the BNSF, with easy access to all other Memphis area rail ramps and convenient to local interstates 240 and 55. The 2.5-acre terminal offers intermodal trucking services and includes a seasoned staff and growing fleet, providing customers the consistent, reliable service seen throughout CPG’s full network since its founding in 1971.

The address and contact information for CPG Memphis is:

ContainerPort Group, Inc.
4727 Pleasant Run Road
Memphis, TN 38118
(901) 563-6300
cpgmem@containerport.com
Terry Gummersheimer, Regional Director-Midwest

About ContainerPort Group:
ContainerPort Group, Inc. is a leading provider of services to the container shipping industry and is celebrating over 45 years of operation. CPG provides drayage services, full service depot operations (CY), warehousing and logistics to ocean carriers, railroads, shippers/receivers, and freight intermediaries with concentration on international cargoes. Headquartered in Cleveland, OH, CPG operates facilities and terminals in 19 distinct geographic markets throughout the Midwest, Ohio Valley, Northeast and Southeast regions.

Contact:
Jim Kramer, Senior Vice President-Commercial
(440) 895-8145
jim.kramer@containerport.com

UWL Opens in Nashville

Cleveland Asset-Based Forwarder, UWL, Expands Operations into Nashville, Tennessee

Press Release

CLEVELAND, OH (March 29, 2017) – UWL, Inc. has expanded operations into Nashville, Tennessee. UWL manages a network of its own drayage and warehouse operations across the USA, and links their assets to their forwarding operations to help control risks and costs to their end clients.

The new location came to fruition in the fourth quarter of 2016, solidifying UWL’s presence in the South and complementing their Ohio Valley and U.S. East Coast (USEC) operations. Recently, UWL also expanded their trucking capacity for drayage in the Memphis and Nashville areas, bringing this region unparalleled access to the world through UWL’s world-class transportation infrastructure.

Michelle Street, UWL’s General Manager, believes this new location holds substantial opportunities for the company. She states, “The beauty of Nashville is that it doesn’t depend on one sector for the city’s economy to thrive. You have several major companies that are headquartered in Nashville, including Bridgestone, Dollar General, Cracker Barrel, Nissan North America, Tractor Supply and many others. This is an exciting time for UWL Nashville to capitalize on the city’s growth.”

By expanding regionally, UWL also avoids centralized automation and builds upon their customer-oriented culture, keeping their services close to clients. Street adds, “By using regional offices staffed with local talent, we ensure that every member of our team is knowledgeable in the market. This allows us to provide personalized, courteous, and attentive customer assistance – a ‘live’ person with whom the client can connect that is familiar with the region.”

Nashville is most notably known as a music epicenter, earning it the nickname “Music City.” The city also is a center for health care, banking and transportation industries that touch several multinational corporations and their respective Tier II and Tier III suppliers. Since Nashville is centrally located to serve major cities within Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Arkansas, it opens up additional Southeast distribution channels to UWL.

On April 13th, UWL Nashville will officially commemorate their new office with an invitation-only open house. UWL Nashville is “here and here to stay”, says Vice President of Global Operations, Joe Pugh. The open house will offer an introduction to clients as well as host vendors, including local drayage companies.

Open House: Thursday, April 13th
Hours: 10:00 – 14:00 CST
Location: UWL Nashville Office

The Nashville office offers all of UWL’s world-class products and services, and is located at:
UWL Nashville
10579 Cedar Grove Rd., Suite 120
Smyrna, TN 37127
sales@shipuwl.com
(615) 994-0900
Michelle Street, General Manager

About UWL
UWL is a full service, asset-based global 3PL. We are fully licensed and bonded to provide freight forwarding, customs house brokerage, ocean freight (FCL, LCL), bulk liquid logistics, supply chain visibility, vessel chartering services and project cargo and airfreight internationally. We also provide road and rail freight, overweight cargo solutions, domestic truck brokerage (FTL/LTL), warehousing and distribution using our network of 20 warehouses strategically located across the U.S. We use technology to tie these services together to provide worldwide, integrated solutions. UWL is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio with additional management offices across the U.S., Asia, Europe and South America.

UWL is a subsidiary of World Shipping Inc., an industry leader since 1960 with over 55 years of market experience dedicated to providing innovative cargo transportation and freight services while delivering the highest level of customer service available in the industry. Headquartered in Cleveland, OH, The World Group of Companies include World Shipping, Inc., ContainerPort Group, UWL, World Distribution Services and Newport Tank Containers. The World Group provides seamless end-to-end solutions with maximum control of the supply chain.

CONTACT
Duncan Wright (UWL)
President
(440) 895-8286
d.wright@shipuwl.com

Joe Pugh (UWL)
VP, Global Operations
(615) 538-0444
j.pugh@shipUWL.com

World Distribution Services - WDS - Container Transloading Facility - CTF

WDS Significantly Expands Capacity at State-of-the-Art Container Transloading Facility

World Distribution Services announces that they have more than doubled their agricultural commodity transload capacity through the addition of a second high speed conveyor system at their state-of-the-art Container Transload Facility (CTF) in Columbus, Ohio. This facility utilizes a wide range of services offered by The World Group of Companies. Services include:

  • Bulk Transloading Services: Bulk Hopper Trucks & Rail Cars
  • Bulk Agriculture Trucking
  • Drayage & Regional Trucking in Support of CTF Activity
  • Exclusive On-Site Intermodal Rail Service in conjunction with Norfolk Southern
  • Maximum Cargo Weight Loading Opportunities – Up to 58,000 Pounds (26 Tons) per 40′ Container
  • Full SOLAS Compliance at No Additional Cost
  • IPI & OCP Service Options
  • 48-hour Rail Service to on Dock Port of Norfolk Via Norfolk Southern
  • Rail Service to U.S. East & West Coast Ports as well as Canadian Ports
  • On-Site USDA & FGIS Inspection Services
  • On-Site Empty Container Storage for Containers Being Transloaded at CTF
  • On-Site Container Repair Services for Containers Being Transloaded at CTF
  • Overweight & Out-of-Gauge Transload Services
  • Blocking & Bracing
  • Transload & Storage of a Wide Range of Commodities Including Steel, Lumber, Machinery, Equipment Project Cargo & More
  • On-Site Customer Service Department to Coordinate All Shipments
  • Full-Service Production Reporting

“The benefit for customers,” says Jackie Csiszar, Director, Business Development, “is that we streamline the process. Now agricultural goods, steel and other Midwestern commodities can be easily moved between points in the United States and points around the world in one simplified step. The location is extremely convenient for customers – particularly in the Midwest.”

This world-class facility acts as a hub for intermodal services – connecting Columbus to the Port of Norfolk and other USEC, USWC and Canadian Ports via a private, on-site intermodal rail operation featuring 48-hour transit time to on-dock Norfolk.

“Our all-inclusive pricing model puts the shippers’ priorities first. We are able to reduce costs by leveraging our ample supply of on-site empty intermodal containers with our cost effective transload services and our exclusive on-site rail intermodal operation that virtually eliminates all container drayage cost.

This transload service – coupled with competitive rail rates from Columbus to on-dock Norfolk rail operations for export moves and our close partnership with the Port of Norfolk – allows us to provide a world-class experience that is second to none,” explains Csiszar. “Additionally, all of these cost savings created by our integrated system go back to the customer’s bottom line. We take pride in finding new solutions in response to internal and external challenges – CTF provides a solution to streamline the process and ensure our customers’ ROI is optimized.”

CTF service is available immediately. Business inquiries may be directed to Jackie Csiszar at csiszarj@www.worldshipping.com or +1-440-895-8296.                                                                         

ABOUT WORLD DISTRIBUTION SERVICES

World Distribution Services (WDS) is a leading provider of creative domestic and global supply chain solutions, specializing in warehousing and logistics. WDS possesses the facilities, network, equipment, expertise and, most importantly, a team of professional, talented staff whose mission is to exceed customers’ expectations.

WDS offers 11 strategic warehousing locations across the United States including most major East Coast, Gulf and West Coast port locations. The company also operates seven intermodal Class I rail facilities in the US Midwest & the Columbus, OH in addition to its private intermodal rail facility at the CTF in Columbus, OH.

WDS, headquartered in Cleveland, OH, is a division of World Shipping, Inc., leveraging over 55 years of collective experience in providing cargo transportation services across the globe.

Learn more at www.worldds.net including a short video on our CTF operation that can be found under the Locations tab at Columbus – CTF.

Jackie Csiszar - World Shipping, Inc. - Vessel Operations - Great Lakes Vessel Agents - Canadian Vessel Agents

Creating Efficiency – All the Way Through to the Last Mile

Guest Author: Jackie Csiszar, Director Business Development, World Shipping, Inc.

For those of us who work in – and with – the intermodal industry, one thing is clear. Often, the most challenging – and expensive – parts of the process are the first and last miles. I often hear from customers who, prior to working with my team and I at World Shipping, Inc., have experienced gaps in efficiency across the supply chain that cause them deep delays and balloon costs. The World Group difference has always been to innovate on behalf of our customers – connecting modes and expanding the services that count.

Recently I had the opportunity to speak about this topic at the 10th Annual Ohio Conference on Freight, held on August 22-24 at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown. The session I was a part of (called “Multi-Modal and the Last Mile” with fellow colleagues Bill Eisele of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Gregg Thauvette of the The Great Lakes Towing Company) explored the ways that our companies and organizations have worked to enhance performance and create connectivity from start to finish.

Ohio Conference on Freight - World Shipping, Inc.

It was an honor to share our experience as a leader in finding solutions for moving cargo throughout all modes of transportation – domestically and worldwide. Since 1960, when the St. Lawrence Seaway opened and our founder Jack Hunger recognized the need for vessel operations, we quickly grew into the leading vessel husbandry company in the Great Lakes. Today, we continue to understand the importance of that “first mile” as we service a wide array of customers – a testament to early innovation and a dedication to superior customer service.

We have built strong partnerships with our customers, each of the ports on the Great Lakes that we service (this year, adding all Lake Ontario Ports to our network), U.S. and Canadian Government Officials, along with many vendors who service these vessels. These types of relationships combine with our extensive track record in this region to allow us to be the premier partner to anyone moving freight – or thinking about doing so – in the region. This directly translates to our ability to help customers save money while conducting “last mile” transactions in the Great Lakes

Finally, I had a chance to showcase one of World Shipping’s newest examples of innovating to stay a step ahead of customer requests: The WDS Container Transload Facility (CTF). This one-of-a-kind logistics hub located in Columbus, Ohio perfectly brings together all services to support the process through the “last mile.”

It was a pleasure to be invited to share our story at the 10th Annual Ohio Conference on Freight. I look forward to more opportunities to come!

World Shipping, Inc. - Vessel Operations - Great Lakes Vessel Agents - Canadian Vessel Agents

Transportation & Logistics International – Fall 2015 Cover Story – “End-to-End Service” World Shipping, Inc.

No matter where in the world a product or piece of machinery needs to go, World Shipping can get it there. “We’re a middle-market company that’s focused on high-service delivery to the discerning international shipper,” President and CEO Fred Hunger says.

World Shipping’s advantage in the logistics market stems from the ability to coordinate and connect its subsidiary companies, each of which specializes in aspects of the supply chain. “We tie together our assets, such as trucks, chassis, tank fleet, warehouses with our customs house brokerage, import/export teams, international offices and deep-sea operations. There’s virtually no international logistics move that we can’t solve or perform with our group,” Hunger explains.

The typical World Shipping customer is focused on manufacturing and marketing products and needs a partner to provide shipping solutions. “They’re relying on us to provide a global, effective distribution system for them,” Hunger says of clients. World Shipping’s subsidiaries have offices in more than a dozen countries, allowing the company to provide customers with a local structure and to work closely with manufacturing clients to lessen the time it takes to deliver a product to market. “Our company has a proud history of providing world-class customer service. We now look to build on that legacy with key investments in technology and skin in the game in terms of assets to service clients,” Hunger adds. “[We are] growing globally while maintaining our continued focus on service and quality.”

Fred Hunger’s father, Jack Hunger, founded World Shipping in 1960 following the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway the year before. The series of canals and locks made the Atlantic Ocean accessible to Great Lakes communities and provided business opportunities for logistics companies, such as World Shipping, to coordinate the rising delivery of goods to the region. By the 1960s, containers had become a more significant part of the shipping industry and World Shipping transitioned its business to liner agents for steam ships to enter the global trade market. “Over time we have grown strategically into a complete international logistics company,” Hunger says.

Read more below.

ContainerPort Group, Inc. - Container Trucking - Intermodal Container and Cargo Solutions

ContainerPort Group Hires Industry Veteran Mike Mays, Appoints Him to Vice President of National Accounts

CLEVELAND, OH (October 21, 2015) – ContainerPort Group, Inc. (CPG) is pleased to announce the addition of Mike Mays – effective October 26. Mays will serve as CPG’s Vice President of National Accounts, reporting directly to Jim Kramer, SVP, Commercial.

Mays’ career, spanning two decades, has allowed him to play an integral part of teams at P&O Nedlloyd, GATX, OOCL and Domestic Intermodal America/AgriOcean Service. He is well-respected member of industry groups – participating on boards and associations such as Intermodal Association of North America, Midwest Foreign Commerce Club and the Transportation Intermediaries Association.

According to Kramer, Mays brings “…an impressive skillset to the CPG team. There is no doubt that he has experience, honed over an impressive career, that will allow him to provide value to our customers – BCOs, NVOs and Ocean Carriers alike.”

About ContainerPort Group

ContainerPort Group, Inc. headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a leading provider of services to the container shipping industry and is celebrating its 44rd year of operation. CPG provides both motor carrier services and terminal services (depot, CY, equipment maintenance, rail ramp operations) to shipping lines, railroads, shippers/receivers, and freight intermediaries with concentration on international cargoes. CPG operates facilities and terminals in 17 distinct geographic markets throughout the Midwest, Ohio Valley, Northeast and Southeast regions.

Information

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ContainerPort Group, Inc. - Container Trucking - Intermodal Container and Cargo Solutions

ContainerPort Group Recognized with Two Awards at Lowe’s Companies, Inc. Annual Global Carrier Conference

CLEVELAND, OH (June 4, 2015) – ContainerPort Group has been awarded two distinctive awards by Lowe’s Companies, Inc. for best-in-class service:

  • 2014 Dray Carrier of the Year – Region One (in recognition of CPG’s service commitment to Lowe’s)
  • 2014 100% On-Time Service Platinum Carrier Award (for consistently providing Lowe’s with the highest level of delivered service)

Each year Lowe’s Home Improvement recognizes excellent service amongst their vast network of supply chain partners during the annual Global Carrier conference and awards ceremony. It is notable that, as one of Lowe’s newer vendors, CPG has exceeded expectations exponentially and surpassed the competition – both key factors in receiving both designations.

Lowe’s is the second largest home improvement retailer in the world with company revenues totaling $56.2 billion in 2014. With 1,840 home improvement stores in the United States, Canada, and Mexico and an extensive supply chain network of more than 30 distribution centers, best-in-class partners are an essential part of the supply chain solution to ensure consistency and efficiency. ContainerPort Group is proud to support Lowe’s Home Improvement as a customer and is committed to providing world-class service for years to come.

For more information, visit www.containerport.com

 

About ContainerPort Group

ContainerPort Group, Inc. headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a leading provider of services to the container shipping industry and is celebrating its 44th year of operation. CPG provides both motor carrier services and terminal services (depot, CY, equipment maintenance, rail ramp operations) to shipping lines, railroads, shippers/receivers, and freight intermediaries with concentration on international cargoes. CPG operates facilities and terminals in 17 distinct geographic markets throughout the Midwest, Ohio Valley, Northeast and Southeast regions.

For more information, visit www.containerport.com.

Contact

About Lowe’s

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 100 home improvement company serving approximately 16 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico through its stores and online at lowes.com, lowes.ca and lowes.com.mx.  With fiscal year 2014 sales of $56.2 billion, Lowe’s has 1,840 home improvement and hardware stores and more than 265,000 employees.  Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects.

For more information, visit www.lowes.com.

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ContainerPort Group, Inc. - Container Trucking - Intermodal Container and Cargo Solutions

ContainerPort Group Named Evergreen Shipping’s Container Yard of the Year, Midwest Region

COLUMBUS, OH (May 22, 2015) – ContainerPort Group has been awarded the Container Yard of the Year Award from Evergreen Shipping for their efforts throughout the past year.

“Evergreen Shipping Agency Corporation places great emphasis on providing high-quality service,” says President Roy Amalfitano. “Our goal is to satisfy our customers by meeting and exceeding their expectations and keeping them competitive in global trade. This philosophy is one of the keys to our success. We depend on [CPG] to play a significant role in helping us to achieve this goal.”

“It is an absolute honor to win this award,” says CPG Senior Vice President, Commercial, Jim Kramer. “We look to increase our world-class offerings with our valued partner, Evergreen Shipping, throughout our strategic best-in-class network.”

 

For more information, visit www.containerport.com 

About ContainerPort Group

ContainerPort Group, Inc. headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a leading provider of services to the container shipping industry and is celebrating its 44th year of operation. CPG provides both motor carrier services and terminal services (depot, CY, equipment maintenance, rail ramp operations) to shipping lines, railroads, shippers/receivers, and freight intermediaries with concentration on international cargoes. CPG operates facilities and terminals in 17 distinct geographic markets throughout the Midwest, Ohio Valley, Northeast and Southeast regions.

For more information, visit www.containerport.com

Contact

About Evergreen Shipping

Evergreen Shipping Agency (America) Corp. is North America General Agent for three of the world’s leading ocean carriers Evergreen Marine, Italia Marittima, Hatsu Marine. Serving the international ocean logistics needs of U.S. importers and exporters since 1974, providing customer service, sales, marketing, logistics and administrative support.

For more information, visit www.evergreen-shipping.us

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