Illinois-based supply chain solution leader AIT Worldwide Logistics is expanding its footprint in the UK through the acquisition of Panther Logistics, a next-day delivery specialist.
AIT Chief Operating Officer, Keith Tholan told the media, “The team of logistics experts at Panther is renowned in the United Kingdom for their commitment to providing fast, quality home delivery services. It was clear very quickly that bringing the experts at Panther into the AIT network would be a boon for our customers looking for affordable, flexible, and reliable residential options—particularly for e-Commerce deliveries, as that market continues to boom.”
AIT Worldwide Logistics already has a significant presence in the US white-glove home delivery market and the acquisition of Panther will only better its position in the country. Panther Logistics, which also offers warehousing services, recorded a turnover of £4 million last year.
Earlier this month Cushman & Wakefield said in their report that demand for UK logistics and distribution space reached record levels in the third quarter of 2020 as retailers and 3PLs expanded their supply chains in response to the ongoing pandemic. The report said that the third quarter was the busiest on record with 16 million sq ft of space transacted, nearly double the ten-year average for the third quarter of 8 million sq ft.
The UK logistics sector has recorded an increase in deal activity in the third quarter of the year. The development is despite a low deal volume year-to-date compared to the previous year. It is recorded that the transaction volumes increased by 12.5 percent in the third quarter of the year.