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Friday, July 22, 2011

Pilot opens first European station

Back in January, I mentioned that there was big news coming for Pilot this year, including new locations both here in the states and abroad. After months of hard work by Gordon Branov, Gilles Auzanneau, Alexandra Ryan and many others, I am excited to announce that Pilot has opened its first European station, in Amsterdam.

Opening a full Pilot station in Amsterdam (AMS) will transform our company. Today, our customers' businesses often rely on international shipping or logistics. In order to offer the best possible customer service and transit times in Europe, as well as our sophisticated logistics solutions, we simply had to have our own people in place. And Amsterdam was the clear choice for where the first European station should go.

Amsterdam's Schipol airport and the Port of Rotterdam are two of the largest cargo portals in the world. Because of this, Amsterdam is home to enormous logistics programs, and is the perfect gateway to Western Europe. Its central location will allow us to offer overnight service to several major destinations, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Poland.

Additionally, AMS will give companies exporting freight from Europe easier access to our network in North America, Asia and many other countries around the world. While we expect much of the initial traffic through the Amsterdam station to be coming from the U.S. to European destinations, we anticipate that over time we'll see many more European companies taking advantage of our well-established domestic network.

The Amsterdam station will be managed by two Pilot veterans, Gilles Auzanneau and Alexandra Ryan. These long-time Pilot employees and international shipping experts are both previous winners of Pilot's Globetrotter award, and will bring the mix of operational and sales expertise that our customers expect from Pilot. The station will be overseen by our executive vice president of business development, Gordon Branov.

This is an important shift for Pilot. It marks our commitment to our international product, and stakes our claim as a global force in transportation and logistics. We expect AMS to lead to additional stations in other international locations. Stay tuned for more announcements later this year!



Pilot Freight Services Opens First Location in Europe

New facility in Amsterdam will continue Pilot’s international growth

LIMA, Pa.—July 14, 2011Pilot Freight Services, a worldwide provider of transportation and logistics services, announced today that it has opened a station in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This new location marks the first company-owned station for Pilot in Europe, and will service new and existing customers sending shipments through the region. This opening comes on the heels of Pilot’s record-setting revenue in 2010, with its international shipping sector marking a dramatic 60 percent year-over-year growth compared to 2009.

“After years of working with customers and partners throughout Europe, we are thrilled to be opening the first official Pilot station abroad,” said Richard Phillips, CEO of Pilot Freight Services. “This is a big milestone for our company, as we continue to grow and expand our footprint both domestically and internationally.”

The Amsterdam station offers a full suite of transportation and logistics services, including air, ocean, ground and logistics capabilities. The station will be managed by Pilot veterans Gilles Auzanneau and Alexandra Ryan, who will be responsible for all sales and operations.

“Amsterdam was a logical choice for our first European station,” said Gordon Branov, executive vice president of Pilot Freight Services. “Strategically, it’s a great location to access major European and Asian markets. The Schiphol airport and the Port of Rotterdam, are among the largest cargo airports and ocean ports in the world, respectively.”

ABOUT PILOT FREIGHT SERVICES

Pilot Freight Services, Inc. is a full-service transportation and logistics provider with over 75 locations throughout North America. Pilot is also a founding member of the World Freight Alliance (WFA), operating in more than 190 countries worldwide. The company’s freight forwarding services encompasses every mode of transportation, including air, ground, and ocean, serving all corners of the globe. Pilot’s logistics programs offer a complete line of expedited and time-definite services, international shipping solutions, product warehousing, and inventory management. In addition, Pilot’s online shipment navigator, CoPilot, makes online shipping fast, convenient, and secure. Learn more about Pilot Freight Services at www.PilotDelivers.com.

PRESS RESOURCES

Press contact(s): Jessica@GregoryFCA.com
Web site: http://pilotdelivers.com/
Blog: http://blog.pilotdelivers.com
Press room: http://pilotdelivers.com/pages/pilotnews.aspx

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