News

2023 Marks 4 Decades of Custom ULD Solutions

 

ACL Airshop, a global leader in air cargo Unit Load Device (ULD) logistics solutions to over 200 airlines, air cargo carriers, and other transportation clients, is announcing additional expansion plans in a press briefing at the annual IATA World Cargo Symposium in Istanbul, Turkiye on April 25-27, 2023. As an industry thought leader, ACL Airshop will lead the "Sustainability" segment of the symposium, with a full day of expert panelists and speakers.

 

ACL Airshop owns, maintains and leases more than 60,000 Unit Load Devices (ULDs), including air freight pallets and containers, issued from over 50 airport hub locations across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America. ACL Airshop's strong growth in recent years builds on the company's 40-year heritage as an air cargo equipment and logistics specialist. Its worldwide services network has expanded from 23 airport hub locations in 2016 to 55 at latest count. Today, the company maintains the largest independent inventory of lease-ready ULD assets in the industry for short-term solutions, and also has a growing array of longer-term ULD Management contracts. The company is deploying innovative logistics technologies such as "FindMyULD" and "ULD Control" which yield better fleet efficiencies and operational cost savings for customers.  ACL Airshop was first-in-market among its competitive class to offer Bluetooth tracking & tracing of air cargo pallets and containers.

 

Over the past 40 years, ACL Airshop has become a leading worldwide one-stop shop for leasing, sales, repair and fleet control of Unit Load Devices ("ULDs") and cargo control products manufacturing for the aviation industry.  One of the unique aspects of the company's offerings is short-term rentals and leasing solutions for airlines' cargo products requirements—that is where ACL Airshop has made its strongest reputation for Custom ULD Solutions. That includes one-way leasing and convenient drop-off's. Yet additionally, in the past several years the company has developed a large, growing portfolio of multi-year ULD management & logistics contracts with various air carriers. The strategic intent is to maintain market leadership in short-term solutions while expanding the recurring long-term revenues in fleet contracts.  The company's short-term solutions satisfy myriad needs in the fast-paced frenetic global ecosystem of air cargo, while the long-term contracts yield cost-efficiency and stable logistics improvements for clients.

 

For 2023 and beyond, the Company will keep ramping-up its customer-focused plans around the world, investing in technology innovations, expanding its long-term contracts portfolio, remaining the market leader for short-term leasing solutions, and fostering a very high-performance culture as a strongly entrepreneurial employer.

 

Steve Townes, President & CEO of ACL Airshop, said: "Our growth has been a customer-driven strategy.  We listened to our airlines and air cargo clients, responding to their requirements. We now have a single very large Majority Shareholder that is highly experienced in aviation, logistics, and infrastructure—providing ample fuel for continued strategic growth. ACL Airshop is a legacy-quality enterprise."

 

Townes added, "We make our customers measurably more efficient; saving them time and money. Fast, effective customer service and responsiveness are hallmarks of our company as a vibrant, nimble worldwide organization of entrepreneurs. Our expansion strategy is deliberate and well-capitalized. We are cementing our reputation as the fastest-growing niche leader for Custom ULD Solutions. We have been perfecting our unique business model for four decades. And our secret weapon is PEOPLE, our dedicated highly-experienced teams around the world."

 

ACL Airshop intends to invest for growth in each of its lines of business in the coming years, and expand to keep pace with rising industry trends.  The headquarters is Greenville, SC, and the main international office is Amsterdam, NL.