Alexander & Baldwin form Matson distribution arm

Alexander & Baldwin form Matson distribution arm Honolulu-based Alexander & Baldwin Inc. Thursday announced the firm's entry into the warehousing, distribution, freight forwarding and non-vessel-operating common carrier market with the formation of a new subsidiary, Matson Global Distribution Services.
   “In the robust U.S./China trade lane, warehousing and distribution services are at the epicenter of the supply chain. The subsidiary formation is just one of several growth initiatives we are pursuing, and it will augment our recently announced transload and guaranteed inland service partnership with J.B. Hunt,” said Allen Doane, Alexander & Baldwin chairman and chief executive officer.
   Brian Howver, a 26-year industry veteran, will head Matson Global as vice president and managing director, reporting directly to Robert Papworth, president of A&B subsidiary Matson Integrated Logistics.
   'Matson Global complements our existing product offering — from ocean transit to inland distribution — and enhances our ability to serve our growing domestic base while opening new markets in Asia,' Papworth said in a statement. “With its formation, we become a true third-party logistics player.”
   The news follows Wednesday's announcement that Oakland-based Matson Navigation Co. and J.B. Hunt Transport Services had jointly established a new guaranteed, expedited service from the Chinese cities of Ningbo and Shanghai to the Port of Long Beach, Calif., various U.S. inland destinations under a single invoice.
   The service provides shippers with two separate options guaranteeing transit time and shipment delivery to the West Coast and selected inland destinations.