By Michael Wax, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Forto
Hier geht es zum Artikel auf Deutsch. / Click here for the article in German.
News from us. As of today April 27, 2020, FreightHub becomes Forto. Since transparency with our employees, customers, and partners is such an important value for us, I’d like to explain why we have made this change. In short, we have physically, and strategically grown the company over the last four years, and have also expanded our logistics and digital service offerings considerably. More specifically, we have moved beyond offering just freight forwarding services. Today, we develop data-driven technology solutions and services for the entire logistics industry, empowering customers to own their supply chain. A name change seemed only appropriate to reflect this growth.
Beyond sea freight transportation
Change appears to be the only constant in today’s business world, and it seems like the pace of change is accelerating. FreightHub as a company has been around since 2016, when we started out as a digital freight forwarder. Back then, we were basically supporting transport between Asia and Germany via sea freight. We began with instant automatic quotes, real-time track & trace, and simple sea freight shipment handling. Soon after, we built our own shipment management platform utilizing smart algorithms and exposing high-quality real-time data. Over time, we’ve expanded into rail freight, air freight and intermodal transports. In addition, we have added more transportation routes, are now represented at nine office locations worldwide, have hired close to 300 people, and grew 3x almost annually.
Just recently, we launched our order management solution, called FortoX. FortoX empowers users to manage their supply not just on a container or shipment level, but on a product level all the way down to the stock-keeping unit (SKU). That, for us, means building technology products that take the friction out of complex and non-transparent logistics processes, making the daily work of logisticians and supply managers easier, more reliable, and efficient.
Fortifying global trade
Our new name and logo reflect our evolution and vision to increase global prosperity while driving sustainability. Trade nourishes the world, fortifying people, communities, and businesses. Ultimately, global trade is fundamental in making all of our lives more prosperous. As economies become increasingly interconnected – not only physically, but also digitally – at Forto, we hold the strong belief that only data-driven solutions empower people to make better business decisions. In Latin, the word “fortis” means “strong”. In today’s business landscape, one marked by uncertainty and rapid change, to “fortify” means to strengthen or give strength.
Since our founding, digitization in transportation and logistics has considerably accelerated. But these processes – from quotation, booking, document management, invoicing, and reporting (all involving multiple parties) – are far from frictionless. Forto eliminates the friction, allowing trade to move in a reliable, transparent, and efficient way around the globe. The FreightHub logo was a hexagon representing the “box” of freight. The new Forto logo evolves as a circle, representing a smooth, frictionless global trade.
And yes, the round logo also represents the earth, and our unabated commitment to sustainability in all we do. As our vision indicates there can be no global prosperity without the creation of global sustainability. The two have to go hand in hand.
New name, same commitment
You may wonder if anything will change how we work with our customers. Let me assure you, there won’t be any change. Forto will continue to offer world-class support and services. We will provide all the transportation services that you are used to – sea, air, rail, intermodal -, but also value-added services, such as customs, insurance, FBA solutions, and many more. And as before, Forto will keep up the pace of technology and product expansion to meet the ever-evolving needs of our 2,000+ customers.
We will have a new look and a new website under forto.com, but when you talk to one of our experts, plan and book a shipment, or evaluate our new product offerings, such as FortoX, it will feel just as before. The entire team at Forto will continue to go the extra mile for you. We’re evolving and expanding. Most of all, we hope that our evolution and expansion can help you evolve, expand and fortify your businesses. So please call us Forto, and call us whenever you need support. We’re here to help you.
