BDP Acquires UK Freight Forwarder

February 1, 2011

PHILADELPHIA, USA and DARTFORD, UK — BDP International (BDP), a privately owned global logistics and transportation services company based in the U.S., has acquired U.K.-based Rostrum Forwarding Ltd., Dartford, Kent. The company’s name will be changed to BDP International, and it will operate under the continued leadership of Rostrum’s Managing Director Bruce W. Pope. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. In addition to the UK, BDP has offices and affiliates in 37 other European countries.

“Rostrum and BDP represent a good fit between two like-minded companies that are zealously committed to customer care, operational excellence and a mutual respect for one another’s traditions and cultures,” said BDP’s Chief Operating Officer John M. Bolte. “Beyond the competitive necessity of having a more substantive presence in the UK, it further enhances our flexibility and service capacity for customers between this vital market and the world.

For Rostrum and its valued customers, joining the BDP family will mean access to a comprehensive suite of logistics information visibility tools and a solid presence in the world’s leading and emerging markets through our global network of offices and strategic partnerships in more than 120 countries,” he explained.

In addition to its Dartford, Kent, headquarters, Rostrum has receiving depots in Birmingham, Bristol, Heathrow, Leeds, London, and Manchester. BDP has invested immediately to expand the operation’s service portfolio with the opening of an office at London-Heathrow Airport earlier this month.

BDP International in the UK will offer the same extensive range of transportation and logistics services that its other global operations offer. These include air, ground and sea transport; freight forwarding and outbound logistics; customs brokerage, country-specific import documentation and inbound logistics; warehousing and distribution; insurance; packing; lead logistics process analysis and administration; project and energy logistics; global trade management consulting; and BDPSmart, a comprehensive on-line logistics service portal, providing BDP clients unprecedented flexibility, end-to-end global visibility and proactive communications supporting management by exception (MBE), all via a single, Web-based interface.

“We recognized a respected brand in the industry could help us meet the challenges of the global economy and become an even more effective global enterprise for our customers,” said Rostrum’s Pope. “Just as important as we took this decision, BDP is one of the few family-owned, mid-sized companies in the international logistics industry whose success has been achieved the old fashioned way, by building enduring relationships with its customers. We are proud to be a part of the BDP family.” 

For further information please contact:
Arnie Bornstein
Executive Director – Marketing & Corporate Communications
BDP International, Inc.
510 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106 USA
Phone: +1 215-629-8493
E-mail: abornstein@bdpnet.com 

About BDP

With annual revenues of approximately $1.6 billion, BDP International is one of the leading privately held freight logistics/transportation management firms based in the U.S. It operates freight logistics centers in more than 20 cities throughout North America and a network of subsidiaries, joint ventures and strategic partnerships in more than 120 countries. 

The company serves more than 4,000 customers worldwide. Clients include Bayer, ConocoPhillips, Dow, DuPont, Heineken USA, Honeywell, Johnson & Johnson, Marks & Spencer, Revlon, Trek Bicycle, Wacker and others. BDP provides a range of services, including ocean, air and ground transportation; lead logistics process analysis, design and management; export freight forwarding; import customs brokerage and regulatory compliance; project and energy logistics; warehousing/consolidation/distribution; and Internet shipping transaction/tracking management systems. 

For more information visit www.bdpinternational.com.