Page 24 - Port of Baltimore Magazine Nov/Dec 2011

[22] The Port of Baltimore ■ November/December 2011 To subscribe or renew, visitwww.marylandports.com
BY NANCY MENEFEE JACKSON
J ack Cooper Holdings — a company
that includes Jack Cooper Trans-
port, the nation’s largest car carrier
— has acquired 75 percent of AES,
which ships vehicles and heavy equipment
all over the world, including from Baltimore
to West Africa. The merged enterprise is
looking forward to doing even more work in
the future with the Port of Baltimore.
“We ship 25,000 vehicles a year to West
Africa, and this past year we exported 6,000
vehicles from Baltimore,” said Ron Pfeiffer,
President of AES. Pfeiffer expects to ship
between 7,500 and 8,000 vehicles from the
Port by the end of 2011. He also noted that
AES has just hired an employee to work with
Mid-Atlantic car auction sites. “We see a big
potential for growth in this area,” he said.
Pfeiffer remains a shareholder and
continues to be involved in AES’ daily oper-
ations. “Ron Pfeiffer has been a great friend,
and AES is a valuable long-time supporter
BUSINESS
of the Port of Baltimore,” said Charles
McGinley, Maryland Port Administration
(MPA) Trade Development. “I am confident
this new venture will be successful and will
continue to foster the relationship between
AES, Jack Cooper Logistics and the Port.”
Last year, Jack Cooper Holdings bought
DMT Trucking, which is also headquartered in
Baltimore. “I think the Port of Baltimore is an
underutilized asset,” said Mike Riggs, owner
and chairman of Jack Cooper Holdings. “It’s
convenient, it’s an easy in and out by ship
and by air, and it has a good workforce.”
Jack Cooper’s core business is
moving automobiles, primarily new cars,
from the factory to dealerships. To do so
requires the company to maintain a fleet
of approximately 2,000 car haul carriers.
Each truck-trailer combination costs about
a quarter of a million dollars.
“We wanted to expand into a related
business that is more asset-light,” explained
Riggs.
“AES is a brand-new venture and we’re
really excited about it. At any given time,
70 percent of our trucks are coming back
empty. We hope the AES acquisition will be
synergistic and also help fill up some of Jack
Cooper’s empty backhaul miles.”
As Pfeiffer explained, “Jack Cooper owns
hard assets, and AES moves cargo from all
over the country to the ports. It will cut down
on the empty trucks and be a good tie-in
business.”
COURTESY OF A.E.S.
Autos Outbound to Africa
Jack Cooper & AES Team Up
in Baltimore to Keep RO/RO Rolling