Panalpina adds Interfresh Airfreight Handling to its perishables chain

As the next step in its goal to become the world leader in perishables transport by 2020, Swiss freight forwarder Panalpina said in an agreement reached yesterday that it will acquire Dutch company Interfresh Airfreight Handling for an undisclosed amount.

Interfresh specializes in customs clearance and last-mile distribution of perishables imported from Africa, the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America.

The acquisition of Interfresh and its sister companies, Fresh Cargo Connection and Dutch Cargo Connection, follows Panalpina’s acquisition of Kenyan flower and vegetable forwarder Air Connection earlier this month and another Kenyan perishables forwarder, Airflo, in 2016. Those acquisitions have positioned Panalpina as a market leader in Kenyan perishables. Air Connection is also Interfresh’s primary customer.

Fresh Cargo Connection and Dutch Cargo Connection serve as fiscal representatives for customers and provide services for various edible perishables, including fish, fruit, vegetables and mushrooms. These two companies, as well as Interfresh, are located at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (AMS) and handle about 20,000 tons of perishable airfreight per year from Kenya, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Taiwan, Canada, Ethiopia, Turkey, Colombia and Ecuador.