AMI – the world’s largest trade-only airfreight and express wholesaler – has taken a major step forward in developing its business in South America, with the opening of a new office in Miami, and the establishment of a strategic partnership with the region’s premier wholesaler covering ten South American countries. AMI Miami will serve the local airfreight agent community - as well as acting as the control centre for transhipments between AMI’s US and global networks, and South America. AMI’s new strategic partner is Craft Group: a Brazil-based neutral ocean- and air freight wholesaler and nvocc. Founded in 1997, Craft has 600 staff working at established offices in 27 centres throughout Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Craft will handle and clear AMI imports to these countries, as well as selling AMI’s global network of direct and via-Miami services. Says AMI VP USA, Mike Pattinson: “We are tremendously excited about the potential for our new office in Miami, and this new alliance with Craft. Miami is a cost-effective gateway linking South America with the USA and the world, but it demands a solid presence on the spot to manage the transhipment process. AMI now has that presence. “Meanwhile, Craft Group is one of very few other truly trade-only wholesalers in the world, and so enables AMI to maintain the integrity of its neutral business model. Craft is the ideal complement to AMI’s existing global network: they are as strong in South America as AMI is in other regions. This is the joining of the largest global airfreight wholesaler’s network with that of the premier wholesaler of ocean and air freight in South America; it extends both parties’ reach to better service their respective customers needs.” Adds Priscilla Bueno, Craft Group’s Corporate Airfreight Director: “This collaboration with AMI opens up many new opportunities in both directions. We gain access to AMI’s impressive global coverage both for exports and imports, and we can also help AMI to develop in South America through our robust operational presence in ten countries, enhanced by our strong sales resource and local market knowledge.” With the opening of its Miami base, AMI now has six USA branches; the others are in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta. It also has branches in the UK (London and Manchester), continental Europe (Amsterdam and Frankfurt), South Africa (Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town), India (Mumbai), the Far East (Hong Kong and China), Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin) and New Zealand (Auckland and Christchurch).