Jersey Post has bought Heathrow Airport-based customs broker HICS Worldwide. The Channel Islands postal organisation sees international customs clearance as critical to the growth of its e-commerce business.
HICS Worldwide offers a complete brokerage package for courier, airfreight and sea freight arrivals in the UK and currently has full clearance facilities at Stansted, Gatwick and Heathrow airports. All existing HICS staff will be retained.
Jersey Post chief executive Tim Brown, said: “Our investment in HICS enables us to further extend the range of products and services we offer to Jersey-based businesses wishing to trade globally, but also allows us to reach those internationally-based organisations that wish to do business with Jersey."
Postal authorities worldwide are looking at opportunities to grow new revenue streams in order to support the decline in existing markets and the acquisition will provide invaluable support for Jersey's fulfilment customers.
Despite the removal in 2012 of Low Value Consignment Relief, which gave fulfilment operations based in the Channel Islands an advantage over UK mainland operations, the industry is still expanding, says Jersey Post.
Earlier in 2016, Jersey Post bought European logistics operator Fraser Freight, allowing it to offer services to and from European and international destinations.
HICS managing director, Paul Burness, stated: “Our mutual desire for business growth in new markets is something that we're very much looking forward to working on with our new colleagues within the Jersey Post Group."
