Logistics Plus acquires freight forwarder H.C. Bennett

Third party logistics provider (3PL) Logistics Plus Inc. has acquired the freight forwarder H.C. Bennett Co. (HCB) and will operate the unit as an independent division within the company, the firms said Thursday.

Red Lion, Pa.-based HCB will now offer its international freight forwarding and foreign principal agent (FPA) services as the FPA Services department within the Logistics Plus International division, providing international buyers with a more complete purchase order (PO) management program with the ability to manage the shipment of thousands of POs purchased on a routed transaction, according to Logistics Plus.

As part of Erie, Pa.-based Logistics Plus, the new FPA Services department can quote highly competitive rates for any worldwide air or ocean shipment to any destination with integrated destination clearance services, the firms said. Current HCB customers can expect a stable transition to Logistics Plus with the ability to access new, expanded complimentary domestic and international services.

"Becoming part of a much larger organization, we now have a deeper bench and more international transportation resources than ever before," HCB President David Bennett said in a statement. "Operational continuity is extremely important to Logistics Plus, and current HCB customers and vendors can expect the same staff, pricing, and procedures as they have come to expect, but now with a whole lot more through the Logistics Plus network."

In a video statement, an HCB spokesperson said that its current customers, vendors, and suppliers would see no immediate changes in staff, pricing, or procedures. Rather, HCB will now offer many Logistics Plus services—such as a smartphone app and an inventory management program—while maintaining its own offerings, such as price commitments obtained through volume contracts with freight brokers, the video said.

The deal is the most recent expansion by Logistics Plus, which provides freight transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, global logistics, and supply chain management solutions. In 2016, the company also acquired the DoorLogistics container visibility platform from its parent company, SynchroNet Intermodal Services Inc., and in 2017 bought the complete assets of its own subsidiary, Lynx Fulfillment LLC.

And in 2018, the company expanded the range of services it offers through the Amazon Solutions Provider Network (SPN), adding access to customs brokerage, FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) preparation and storage, and additional short- or long-term storage solutions.