Gebrüder Weiss acquires Utah-based freight forwarding company

Gebrüder Weiss, a logistics company, has recently acquired Cargo-Link, a family-owned freight forwarding company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Cargo-Link specialises in shipping less-than-container load (LCL) and imports from Asia to mid-west-based customers in the U.S. The acquisition is a part of Gebrüder Weiss’s growth plans in North America. It will help the company further develop LCL services in its Air & Sea division.

Gebrüder Weiss, the North American division based in Wood Dale, Illinois, has set up a new specialized weekly LCL service from North and South China ports directly into Salt Lake City, through its acquisition of Cargo-Link. This strategic move will allow Gebrüder Weiss to leverage Cargo-Link’s location and expertise to open new LCL routes to Asia and Europe. Salt Lake City is a rapidly growing market that values local presence, making this acquisition a new regional market entrance. The management team of Cargo-Link will be retained by Gebrüder Weiss and its employees will be integrated into the newly merged organization.

“We are thrilled to bring Cargo-Link under the Gebrüder Weiss umbrella,” says Mark McCullough, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss North America. “There are tremendous synergies between the two companies, and we mutually benefit from the agreement. We look forward to partnering with the Cargo-Link leadership team to enhance our customers’ LCL and Intermountain West-based opportunities.”

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Cargo-Link was founded in 1976 in Salt Lake City and grew to become a renowned freight forwarding and Customs House Brokerage (CHB) in a secondary market. Operationally, most of the business comprises sea freight imports, with air freight, domestic freight forwarding, and export business making up the remainder. CEO and Owner Scott Ogden has managed Cargo-Link since its inception and has developed an extensive network of client relationships and overseas partners.

“This acquisition significantly upgrades our service potential and broadens customer access, seamlessly blending Cargo-Link’s expertise with the expansive capabilities of Gebrüder Weiss,” says Scott Ogden, CEO of Cargo-Link. “The two companies are a cultural fit as well as a business fit. Cargo-Link is a family-owned, family-focused company with a philanthropic culture, and we sought those same values in a corporate partner.”

In addition to Gebrüder Weiss’ greater coverage in the Intermountain West geographic area and establishing Salt Lake City as its 15th North American location, the company also gains access to a 22,000-square-foot warehouse attached to the Cargo-Link office and optimally positioned near the Salt Lake City airport. Gebrüder Weiss North America has opened operations in all major U.S. markets and now focuses on regional markets with location-specific experience and operations.