Sydney-based logistics software company, WiseTech Global, has acquired Argentina-based PB & Assoc (Forward), Uruguay-based Softcargo, which together covers 16 countries in Latin America, as well as the acquisition of French customs solutions provider, EasyLog.

“We continue to further strengthen our global market presence by adding leading logistics solutions providers, in key trading regions across Europe, Latin America and Asia, into the WiseTech Global group,” said WiseTech Global CEO, Richard White. “Forward and Softcargo help us fill out our footprint in Latin America, while EasyLog is key to customs in France. These solution providers have established operations, infrastructure and extensive experience, as well as strong leadership, making for a very good fit with WiseTech Global.”

Headquartered in Buenos Aires, Forward’s freight forwarding management and accounting compliance logistics solutions are offered throughout Latin America to customers including Damco, Delfin Group, DSV, Waiver Group, Yusen Logistics and Zach Logistics.

Headquartered in Montevideo, Softcargo offers freight forwarding management solutions in Latin America including accounting, tracking, warehousing and fleet management products to customers including Senator International, Röhlig, DB Schenker, Kerry Logistics, and many other freight forwarders and corporate logistics operators.

WiseTech Global CEO, Richard White, said “Home to over 600 million people, Latin America is a key trading region where WiseTech Global started building its capabilities last year when we acquired Bysoft, the largest provider of automated customs solutions to the logistics industry in Brazil. By adding Forward and Softcargo to the group, WiseTech now has a strong presence in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. These acquisitions comprehensively fill out our Latin American coverage and gives us a very strong presence across the region from which to build further.”

“Given the challenges and complexities of cross-border logistics in Latin America, our combined strength will help us deliver a larger and more powerful portfolio of integrated logistics solutions to regional and global logistics providers and accelerate our development of CargoWise One native capabilities in Latin America. This represents a big step forward for our global and regional customers, who can be confident of our commitment to Latin America and our intention to keep relentlessly innovating to improve our logistics execution solutions for all of our customers. We are looking forward to working together with both Jorges and Ruben and their talented local teams to achieve this.”

Forward will remain under the leadership of joint Managing Directors, Jorge A Posbeyikian and Jorge Buchter. Posbeyikian said, “We have been developing leading freight forwarding software in Latin America for over 25 years and we believe that our customers do more than just move cargo – they operate complex businesses in challenging and changing environments. Joining the WiseTech Global group will enable us to better support our customers and help them drive even more productivity improvements and efficiencies in their logistics operations.”

Softcargo will remain under the leadership of Managing Director, Ruben Lopez Cleiman, who said, “WiseTech Global brings to Latin America all the power of its global logistics platform, to which we can add Softcargo’s 20 plus years of experience and local knowledge. This will be a great benefit for all of our existing customers both large and small. We will now be part of a global group with presence in 130 countries, which will give us the opportunity to deliver greater solutions and create new industry productivity capability in Latin America.”

Headquartered in Franconville, France, EasyLog offers a range of customs clearance and tracking solutions, including a direct link with French Customs, to ensure efficient and accurate customs management for customers such as DHL Global Forwarding, Nippon Express, Acte International, and DSV, as well as first party logistics customers such as Air France Industries, Sanofi and Salomon.

WiseTech Global CEO, Richard White, said, “EasyLog joining the WiseTech group is a key step in building out our European customs capabilities and shows our strategic commitment to Europe and to continuing our foothold geographic strategy. France is the second largest importer and exporter in Europe so a strong local footprint and local commitment here is essential. Combining EasyLog’s well-regarded customs solutions with the powerful CargoWise One integrated platform will help us to deliver a deeper, more comprehensive customs solution for European and global logistics service providers.”

“Bringing the EasyLog management and customs expertise into the Group complements our recent European acquisitions in Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany and Italy. We are looking forward to working together on the next-generation of customs solutions for France.”

EasyLog will remain under the leadership of Managing Director, Alain Gronier, who said, “We have dedicated 18 years to building up our advanced customs and transport logistics solutions, delivering exactly what our different customers need for their business. Joining the WiseTech Global team will allow us to continue working with our freight forwarding, logistics and import/export customers in France, and to accelerate our product development to ensure they receive the most productive and effective tools.”

Forward, Softcargo and EasyLog operations will be integrated within the WiseTech Global group and will continue to deliver their leading logistics software solutions directly to their own customers, along with WiseTech’s powerful global CargoWise One platform.

CargoWise One enables logistics service providers to execute highly complex transactions in areas such as freight forwarding, customs clearance, warehousing, shipping, land transport and cross-border compliance and to manage their operations on one database across multiple users, functions, countries, languages and currencies.

This transaction follows WiseTech’s other recent customs and logistics solutions acquisitions in Belgium, Ireland, North America, Australasia, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Taiwan, and the Netherlands and is in line with WiseTech Global’s clearly stated strategy of accelerating long-term organic growth through targeted, valuable acquisitions across new geographies and larger, globally capable adjacencies.