Expanding E-Commerce Business Boosts Apex Logistics to the 21st Largest Global Air Freight Forwarder
Compton, CA USA Site Visit
April 18, 2017
By
Evan Armstrong
Key Personnel:
Ken Au – President, Americas
Michael Piza – Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing, Americas
Stella Qian – Executive Vice President Finance, Americas
Jackie Chen – Assistant to the Managing Director
Apex Logistics International Overview
2016 was a very good year for Chinese headquartered Apex Logistics International (Apex Logistics). Fueled by rapid growth with e-commerce customers, Apex Logistics’ air freight forwarding business posted a 39% year-over-year increase to 260,000 air freight metric tons making it the 21st largest global air freight forwarder. Apex Logistics’ fastest growing operations were Amsterdam, Netherlands with 261% year-over-year growth, Hong Kong at 76%, and Chicago with 53% growth.
Apex Logistics has grown rapidly since its founding in 2001 with its core business as an air freight wholesaler. It then quickly increased its service offering expanding into retail air freight forwarding and value-added international transportation management solutions. Since then it has built an operating network with over 2,000 employees serving customers in 70 countries. Apex Logistics’ gross revenue topped $690 million in 2016. Further expanding its service offering, Apex Logistics grew ocean freight forwarding volumes to 30,000 TEUs (trailer equivalent units) in 2016 and is targeting 50,000 TEUs in 2017.
In addition to working with the largest internet retailer, Apex Logistics serves a cadre of Fortune 500 companies. Its target industry segments include E-Commerce, High-Tech, Fashion & Garments, Automotive, Consumer & Pharmaceutical, and Industrial. Key customers include: Apple, Hewlett-Packard Company, ASUSTeK Computer, Motorola/Lenovo, Incipio Technologies, AT&T, Jones New York, Barnes & Noble, and Abercrombie & Fitch. As part of its e-commerce offering, Apex Logistics is working with customers using both Alibaba and JD.com platforms.
Apex Logistics’ global network has 16 stations in China, seven in the United States, three in Mexico, and one in Canada, Europe, Korea, and Singapore respectively. In addition, Apex Logistics has near-term expansion plans to add stations in Vietnam, Austria and Germany. Most stations have attached warehousing/cross docking operations in combination with freight forwarding office space. Its total warehousing footprint is 406,000 square feet and includes a mix of bonded and non-bonded facilities.