AIT Worldwide Acquires Australian Forwarder Powering Major Tech Infrastructure Projects

AIT Worldwide snaps up Australian forwarder involved in big-tech buildout

AIT Worldwide Logistics has acquired Sydney-based freight forwarder Connor Anderson International, expanding its direct operating presence into Oceania for the first time.

The transaction adds Connor Anderson International’s operations in Sydney and Melbourne to AIT’s global network. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Known as CAI, Connor Anderson provides air, ocean and road transportation, customs clearance, warehousing and project-cargo management. Its customer base includes companies in the technology, aerospace and automotive industries, with technology shippers representing an important part of its business in Australia and New Zealand.

For AIT, the acquisition provides a local platform from which to serve freight moving into and out of Australia. It also expands the company’s ability to manage shipments that require multiple transportation modes, specialized handling and coordination with customs and warehouse operations.

“This acquisition, and the rapid integration that will follow, demonstrates our strategic response to customers in the region and serves as the foundation for AIT’s long-term expansion to serve Oceania more broadly,” Ray Fennelly, AIT’s chief development officer, said in a statement.

Fennelly said CAI’s addition would help customers expand in Oceania and manage complex projects. AIT said the acquisition will strengthen its support for technology companies shipping cloud-computing components and other high-value equipment used in artificial intelligence systems.

The deal comes as technology companies and data-center operators continue building out computing capacity. That work has created demand for logistics services capable of moving sensitive, expensive and sometimes oversized equipment through international supply chains. The shipments may involve air, ocean and road transportation, along with customs processing, storage and final delivery coordination.

For professional drivers and carriers, the road portion of that work can include time-sensitive moves between ports, airports, warehouses, project sites and customer facilities. AIT’s acquisition does not provide details about future volumes or specific transportation contracts, but it gives the company control of an established Australian forwarding operation with road transportation capabilities already in place.

CAI has worked with AIT for about 15 years, helping the company move freight into and out of Australia. Bringing the forwarder into AIT’s network is intended to reduce the company’s reliance on outside partners in the region and provide a more direct base for serving customers.

AIT said the Australian operation will also support customers in the aerospace and automotive sectors. Those industries can involve project cargo, specialized equipment and shipments that require detailed scheduling and close coordination among shippers, forwarders, carriers, customs officials and receiving facilities.

The acquisition is part of AIT’s broader expansion strategy. The company began in 1979 as a domestic air-freight forwarder and now arranges air, ocean and road shipments, in addition to providing customs clearance and warehousing services. AIT operates 158 offices worldwide and is projecting approximately $4.5 billion in gross revenue for 2026, including payments collected for purchased transportation, compared with $3.56 billion in 2025.

Connor Anderson is AIT’s 15th acquisition in the past five years, according to the information released about the transaction. In 2025, AIT acquired Miami-based forwarder GSDMIA Inc. and Krupp Trucking, a St. Louis company focused on high-value freight.

The company also changed ownership in February, when Greenbrier Equity Group purchased a majority stake from The Jordan Company and AIT management. That investment has given AIT additional resources to pursue expansion in key global markets, the company said.

AIT ranks as the world’s 43rd-largest logistics provider by gross revenue and number 22 in the United States, according to Armstrong & Associates. The acquisition of CAI gives the company a foothold in Australia while establishing what it describes as a foundation for additional growth across Oceania.

The deal reflects continued consolidation in the third-party logistics industry, where forwarders are adding regional offices and specialized capabilities to serve global customers. AIT’s emphasis on technology and artificial intelligence-related freight places the Australian acquisition within a larger shift toward logistics services for data-center construction and high-value computing equipment.