NFI extends its reach to Asia through joint venture

North American third-party logistics provider (3PL) NFI Industries said today it has partnered with Cargo Services Far East Ltd., a Hong Kong-based freight forwarder, to extend the Cherry Hill, N.J.-based company's reach into the Asian market.

NFI said in a statement that it will leverage its extensive North American presence as a 3PL for global trade and allow its customers to reach consumers in the fast-growing markets of Asia. It did not respond to requests for additional detail about the extent of its overseas operations.

The new venture, to be called NFI Global Cargo Services, will be led by Zach Brown, a fourth-generation member of the Brown family that founded NFI. He assumes the title of managing director, Asia, and will establish an office in Hong Kong.

Cargo Services Far East was founded in 1990 as an international freight forwarder. Since then, it has expanded its offerings to include airfreight, container haulage and distribution, fashion distribution, wine importation, and cold chain logistics.

NFI also announced today it had adopted a real-time load-tracking platform developed by supply chain software provider FourKites Inc. to improve "control tower" visibility of its expanding logistics operations.

In transportation and logistics, control towers allow users to see all active loads on a map and to manage exceptions without the need to involve dispatchers or drivers. NFI said it will access real-time location information and the estimated time of arrival (ETA) for every truck carrying its customers' products across North America.

The move follows NFI's announcement last week that it released a suite of software tools designed to help customers track shipments, make adjustments, and ensure order compliance.

FourKites has been adding subscribers quickly in recent months since landing a $13 million venture capital injection in October. The company announced integrations with Louisiana-based 3PL Dupré Logistics LLC that same month, and with Illinois-based US Foods Inc. in November.