C.H. Robinson buys SW border broker

C.H. Robinson buys SW border broker    C.H. Robinson Worldwide, a Fortune 500 third-party logistics provider, said Thursday it has acquired International Trade & Commerce Inc., a U.S. customs brokerage based in Laredo, Texas.
   The move adds to the Minneapolis-based company's North American border freight delivery capabilities.
   ITC provides warehousing, distribution and customs clearance services targeted at cross-border trade between the United States and Mexico. Founder Hector Tafoya will continue with C.H. Robinson as general director of the U.S. and Mexico Border Operations Center. The company also has offices in several other U.S. cities handling ocean and air cargo. ITC is a certified member of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism and participates in the Border Anti-Smuggling Coalition, programs designed to improve the internal security controls of shippers and transportation providers.
   “ITC strengthens our ability to provide customers a seamless cross-border service package across the United States and Mexico border,” said Scott Satterlee, C.H. Robinson senior vice president, in a news release. “Customers increasingly want a single point of contact to provide visibility and consolidated invoicing in order to achieve optimal efficiency with their transportation spend. ITC greatly enhances our ability to meet those needs.”
   C.H. Robinson, with $8.6 billion in sales last year, has 10 offices and 100 employees along the southwestern border, as well as offices in major Mexican cities.
   Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.