Milwaukee-based freight forwarder and customs brokerage firm M.E. Dey & Co. Inc. has acquired Long Beach, California-based Ted L. Rausch & Co., giving it an office at the Port of Long Beach/Los Angeles.
The Long Beach location is the company’s third office. It also has locations at 700 W. Virginia St. in Milwaukee and in Bensenville, Illinois, a Chicago suburb.
Ted L. Rausch & Co., a freight forwarder and broker specializing in the furniture and auto sectors, has been an M.E. Dey business partner for more than 50 years. Its staff of four has joined M.E. Dey, which now has 53 employees, 43 of whom are based in Milwaukee. M.E. Dey has taken on Ted L. Rausch’s customer list and will pay a commission to the former owner on any business with them.
The acquisition expands M.E. Dey’s international reach from a major gateway port, allowing it to more effectively ship trans-Pacific cargo in and out of the West Coast.
Nicole Hess, of M.E. Dey’s Milwaukee office, will serve as Long Beach branch manager.
“Southern California is the largest port for imports, and to serve our customers better and just have more feet on the ground is definitely a benefit,” said Rob Gardenier, president of M.E. Dey. “It gets us two hours extra time as far as working hours.”
