SEKO Logistics rolls out major expansion in Chicago

Third-party logistics (3PL) services provider SEKO Logistics announced this week it has rolled out a new global gateway in its hometown of Chicago, as part of its transition to what it calls a period of acquisition growth in conjunction with company growth and a differentiation of its international 3PL services.

This 103,000 square-foot facility triples the size of SEKO’s Chicago hub and comes on the heels of its January acquisition of Chicago-based customs broker and freight forwarder GoodShip International and its purchase of a minor shareholding in its partner Omni-Channel Logistics. SEKO officials said the company’s new gateway will serve as a cross-border e-commerce parcel processing hub for the company’s growing international, domestic, and returns parcel offerings.

SEKO said that the driver for this new global gateway is its anticipation that business in the Chicago area will increase three-fold in 2019 and “future-proof” its Midwest operations.

Some of the facility’s features include:

• 17 dock and ramp doors and a five-high pallet racking storage system;
• CTPAT- and Indirect Air Carrier-certified,
• the warehouse is full secured with electronic entry and hi-res security monitoring cameras covering the exterior and interior of the property;
• all-electric equipment inside the building ensures its optimum environmental efficiency
• a clean room for medical devices and a temperature control section to enhance its White Glove and Omni-Channel Logistics capabilities as well

SEKO said the Chicago gateway hosts all of the company’s contract logistics, air and ocean freight forwarding and cross-dock operations, white glove and value-added forwarding services alongside the customs brokerage and compliance capabilities expertise used by SEKO’s rapidly-growing client portfolio. In Chicago, it said this includes leading global brands to technology-savvy start-ups working in industries including Aerospace & Aviation, Automotive, Energy, Electronics, FMCG, High-Tech, Industrial, Medical, Retail and Tradeshow & Events.  

“This latest investment in another gateway hub and proximity to the airport is driven by the needs of customers who have chosen SEKO to deliver global solutions,” said James Gagne, President and CEO, SEKO Logistics, in a statement. “Chicago joins other key cities across our international network where we are bringing all of our global capabilities together under one roof and follows SEKO’s expansion in other major cities such as Los Angeles, New York, London, Hong Kong and Amsterdam.  Our fast-growing Global Own Gateway Markets with a combination of people, process, infrastructure, network and technology investment will fully equip and bolster our local strategic partners to deliver for our clients by combining our global presence with local expertise and excellence.”