IN Brief:
- AIT has finalised an agreement to acquire Sydney-based Connor Anderson International, which also operates in Melbourne.
- The Australian business provides air, sea, and road freight, customs brokerage, warehousing, and project logistics.
- The acquisition will extend AIT's technology logistics capabilities and establish a stronger operating platform in Oceania.
AIT Worldwide Logistics has finalised an agreement to acquire Australian freight forwarder Connor Anderson International (CAI), expanding its geographical coverage and specialist logistics capabilities across Oceania. The transaction brings together AIT’s international forwarding network and an established Australian operator providing customs brokerage, warehousing, multimodal transport, and project cargo services.
Connor Anderson International was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Sydney, with an additional office and warehouse in Melbourne. Its operations cover air, sea, and road freight alongside specialist arrangements for customers moving complex equipment. The company has increasingly developed its services for technology businesses operating in Australia and the wider Oceania market.
The acquisition builds on a commercial relationship between the two organisations dating back to 2011. Their previous cooperation provides an established operating connection, while the proposed integration will bring CAI’s Australian activities into AIT’s wider business and service network.
AIT identifies cloud computing equipment and other high-value technology used in artificial intelligence infrastructure among the cargo categories supported by its specialist operations. Such equipment can require careful coordination between international transport, customs clearance, storage, and final delivery, particularly when shipments comprise multiple components required at a common installation site.
The movement of technology equipment often involves several separate handling stages. Goods may travel from a manufacturing facility to an export warehouse, move through an airport or seaport, pass through customs at their destination, and continue to an installation contractor or specialist receiving
facility. Each transfer introduces requirements for cargo identification, equipment protection, and coordination between the organisations handling the shipment.
AIT’s international network provides access to freight forwarding services across these stages, while CAI contributes established local operations and relationships in Australia. The combined business will be positioned to manage Australian import and export requirements alongside the international transport connections already available through AIT.
Customs brokerage is a significant part of the acquisition. CAI operates an in-house brokerage team, allowing import documentation and regulatory clearance procedures to be managed within the Australian organisation. The function is particularly useful for consignments containing different equipment types, where product classification and import requirements must be established for individual items.
Technology shipments can contain servers, electronic components, networking equipment, and associated infrastructure, potentially with different customs classifications and documentary requirements. Accurate commercial descriptions, tariff codes, and supporting records are needed before import declarations can be completed. The availability of an experienced brokerage team allows those requirements to be considered alongside the broader freight movement.
Ray Fennelly, chief development officer at AIT, identified CAI’s brokerage operation as a capability that will strengthen the group’s support for inbound Australian shipments. He also named aerospace, automotive, and technology among the industries in which customers require coordinated logistics for complex projects.
The transaction adds warehousing capacity to the Australian component of AIT’s network. CAI’s existing facilities provide local infrastructure for receiving and holding goods between international arrival and onward distribution, although AIT has not disclosed their individual handling capacities or the amount of additional warehouse space included in the agreement.
Warehousing requirements can vary considerably between conventional palletised freight and sensitive technical equipment. Some goods can be stored and distributed through standard handling processes, while others require dedicated loading arrangements, secure storage, or additional protection during vehicle movements. The applicable arrangements depend on each consignment and the services agreed with the logistics provider.
Project logistics introduces another set of transport requirements. Oversized or unusually heavy equipment may need specialist handling, route planning, lifting equipment, or coordination with installation schedules. The acquisition provides AIT with an Australian company already experienced in managing projects of this kind, complementing its international transport capabilities.
The Sydney and Melbourne locations also provide access to two established Australian freight markets. International consignments moving through either city require local arrangements for terminal collection, customs release, warehousing, and onward road transport. The presence of an operating company in both locations gives AIT additional resources for coordinating these activities directly.
AIT has continued investing in digital systems used to manage global shipments. Its purchase order management platform, introduced earlier in 2026, combines order information, multimodal booking, shipment visibility, and exception management. These capabilities provide a wider operating framework for the company’s forwarding activities, although the precise systems integration planned for CAI has not been disclosed.
Purchase order information can establish what goods are expected, where they originate, and when they are required. Linking those records with freight bookings and shipment events enables logistics teams to
compare planned and actual progress, identify missing movements, and coordinate corrective action where transport arrangements change.
The expansion into Oceania adds a local operating presence to these international processes. Australian customers will be able to draw on AIT’s broader forwarding network, while international customers moving goods into Australia will gain access to CAI’s existing logistics, brokerage, and warehousing operations.
CAI director Theo Pambris identified the companies’ longstanding relationship and compatible approach to customer service as foundations for the combination. The businesses intend to retain CAI’s local experience while extending the international resources available to its customers.
The agreement establishes AIT’s intended expansion into Australia, with CAI’s Sydney and Melbourne operations forming the local foundation for further development across Oceania. The companies plan to build on their existing relationship as they integrate Australian freight forwarding, brokerage, and warehousing operations with AIT’s international network.
