Australian based virtual courier company Sendle has announced it will merge with US companies FirstMile and ACI Logistix to create a unified group.
The three brands have combined to form FAST Group, with Federation Asset Management providing the investment for the group that will look to bring together the “unique strengths” of the three logistics businesses.
Headquartered in California, with teams across the United States, Australia, Canada, India and the Philippines, FAST Group will leverage the combined knowledge, technology, infrastructure and operational excellence of FirstMile, ACI Logistix and Sendle. The carriers will continue to operate under their established brands, all while functioning as a single, integrated and expanded logistics ecosystem.
FAST Group will serve the full spectrum of e-commerce shipping, supporting businesses from burgeoning direct-to-consumer brands to international enterprises as they grow in maturity and complexity.
Each brand brings unique capabilities and customer segments that complement one another and will provide greater opportunity for customers and expanded delivery for partners:
- FirstMile, a mid-market business specialist, will scale its national parcel pickup infrastructure across the integrated group, broadening reach and improving service for all. FirstMile customers will benefit from ACI Logistix’s enterprise-grade logistics capabilities and Sendle’s powerful support and platform integrations.
- ACI Logistix, a pioneer in US national logistics, enhances the group with its enterprise-grade infrastructure, automation and sortation facilities, and diverse delivery capabilities. ACI Logistix customers, in turn, gain from FirstMile’s specialised pickup network and Sendle’s premium support and marketplace integrations.
- Sendle, a disruptor in parcel delivery for small businesses across the US, Australia and Canada, brings international scale, leading technology platforms, and premium customer support to the group. Sendle customers will now have access to FirstMile’s specialised pickup infrastructure and ACI Logistix’s comprehensive enterprise network.
Customers of each brand will benefit from the capabilities and broader support from the group, while maintaining the same relationship with the brand they know and work with best.
Together, with FAST Group’s many partnerships, the three companies aim to form a highly adaptable logistics ecosystem where shippers of all sizes can take advantage of the broad range of solutions and partnerships that FAST Group has to offer.
ACI Logistix CEO Keith Somers will oversee the FAST Group as CEO, while the Board will be made up of representatives from all three companies. ACI Logistix, FirstMile and Sendle will continue to operate as they are now, under the same leadership team, while exploring cross-company initiatives.
“Each of these three companies have a proud history of cultivating distinct strengths and deep insights into their respective customer needs. By combining our capabilities under FAST Group, we’re creating a complete and powerful logistics ecosystem that can support customers through their entire growth path, as they adapt and compete in an ever-evolving ecommerce landscape,” Somers says.
“This strategic merger, backed by Federation Asset Management, will bring added benefits for customers across all segments – SMB, mid-market and enterprise – through improved first mile pick-ups, faster and complete national distribution and integrated customer support. It also presents exciting opportunities for our partners, including other carriers and technology providers, as we look to deliver more services, more innovation and more national impact.”
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