DANZAS EXPANDS IN CHILE

Danzas is continuing the integration of the far-flung operations of Air Express International as part of the process of building a global branded service, Danzas AEI. In Chile, Danzas has acquired the international logistics business of Deca Express SA, which was AEI’s former exclusive agent in the country. The company now will operate as Danzas AEI Chile SA. According to Danzas, the integration will combine Deca’s principal strength in airfreight and supply-chain services on north/south trades in the Americas with the Danzas network, which is focused on providing multimodal services linking Chile with European and Asian markets. Deca Express’s expertise in serving NAFTA and Mercosur markets will complement Danzas’ traditional strengths in east/west intercontinental trade,” said Mauro Mazzacurati, managing director of Danzas AEI Chile. “Deca Express’s extensive knowledge of the Chilean market will mesh seamlessly with Danzas’ global resources to deliver a superior one-stop shopping experience for the country’s trading community. In late January, Danzas also announced it was taking control of AEI Lebanon SAL, which will be headquartered in Beirut and serve a number of countries in the region, including Syria, Jordan, Iran and Iraq. Before the 1975 civil war in Lebanon, Beirut was the center of trade and commerce for much of the Middle East. Today, according to Danzas, Beirut “is poised to regain its lost luster” and will help spearhead the company’s expansion in the region. “Taking full control of the joint venture is an important step forward in Lebanon,” says Enver Moretti, senior vice president of Danzas for North Africa and the Middle East. “It will enable us to make the necessary investments to improve our presence and play an even more decisive role in this important market.” Both offices are being connected to LOGIS, which is the logistics information management system operated by Danzas. LOGIS offers “full pipeline visibility in real time,” the company said. Danzas AEI, based in Basel, Switzerland, had revenue last year of about $7.5 billion and is a subsidiary of Deutsche Post.