From acquisition to remarkable growth in Canada

The success of the St Johns and Halifax offices is testament to the dedication of the local teams

It has been nearly 2.5 years since Blue Water entered the Canadian market after the acquisition of Freightway International, a local Newfoundland-based freight forwarding company. Today, Blue Water has two offices in Canada; St. Johns, Newfoundland and Halifax, Nova Scotia - and the company is moving swiftly to have a presence in other areas nationwide. 

“Canada had been a plan and place of high interest for Blue Water for many years, and in late 2021, we made that plan a reality. Connecting Canada to our network in the North Atlantic was a must,” says Rasmus Jakobsen, Head of Commercial Activities North Atlantic and Canada. 

Blue Water has been well received in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and in Canada as a whole. “We were warmly welcomed. It is because of the dedication and commitment of our clients that we can proudly say that we have far surpassed all export targets year over year,” says Jakobsen.  

Diversify trade lanes and open new markets

The focus during year one was to introduce Blue Water into the province of Newfoundland and Labrador while establishing and nurturing relationships with existing and potential clients. This was successfully executed, and significant growth was seen already in year one. 

Year two was the year of planned aggressive growth in connection with trade lane and commodity diversification. “We wanted to gain additional market share in our core markets and also to “spread our wings” while still maintaining a heavy focus on reefer cargo,” says Megan Noseworthy, General Manager Blue Water Canada. 

Historically, the company was made up of almost entirely frozen seafood export from Atlantic Canada to the European and Asian markets. “While that is still a core part of the business today, we have since diversified on trade lanes within Canada, North America, Greenland, Latin America, Mediterranean, Middle East, Africa, Australia and many other destinations worldwide,” adds Noseworthy.

 

Local team provides tailor-made solutions

In just two years, Blue Water Canada has experienced remarkable growth, transitioning from primarily handling frozen seafood export to managing high-volume two-way traffic of various commodities, including pork and poultry, potatoes, pizza, paper products, machinery, mailboxes, provisions and more. Blue Water's partnerships allow it to offer comprehensive solutions for sea freight, air freight, courier services, certificates, clearance, intermodal, storage and drayage.

The success and exponential growth are a true testament to the commitment of the local team and their customer-oriented ways of working. The team understands and creates tailor-made solutions for the clients. Every solution is specific to the client’s unique operation. Transportation from an island in the North Atlantic is not without com-plications, but the local team navigates these variables and provides peace of mind to the clients through their in-house experience and expertise. 

Looking ahead to 2024, the Canada team has ambitious plans to surpass all figures and continue to diversify in all areas. “We have only just scratched the surface of possibilities in Canada and our goal is to become a household name for transportation and logistics solutions all across the country. We are eager and solutions-oriented, and we will get there,” adds Jakobsen. 

Show more