Manheim Enters Joint Venture with Leading Vehicle Exporter Akinvest

ATLANTA – With an increasing number of American and international dealers purchasing used vehicles in the North American wholesale marketplace and shipping them overseas, Manheim has enhanced its commitment to providing export services through a joint venture with Akinvest.

by Staff

April 3, 2009

2 min to read

ATLANTA – With an increasing number of American and international dealers purchasing used vehicles in the North American wholesale marketplace and shipping them overseas, Manheim has enhanced its commitment to providing export services through a joint venture with Akinvest, Manheim senior vice president, International Operations Mike Langhorne announced.

Akinvest is the parent company of two of the leading players in the export business: Freightmar International and ExportTrader.com. Freightmar, a registered Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC), specializes in the overseas shipment of U.S. vehicles with service to more than 150 countries. ExportTrader.com, a Web portal used by more than 7,000 international dealers, has consistently ranked as the top automotive Web site in its category, according to independent Web tracking services.

Langhorne said the partnership will allow Manheim to better assist its customers at every stage of the export process. Millions of used vehicles leave U.S. ports bound for overseas destinations each year.

“The joint venture offers our international customers access to the widest selection of used vehicles anywhere and expands the buying base for our sellers,” said Langhorne. “For more than a half-century, our customers have trusted and relied on Manheim. By partnering with ExportTrader.com and Freightmar, we’re creating the most dependable end-to-end solution for shipping vehicles outside the U.S. and Canada.”

Manheim has been conducting business outside the U.S. for more than a decade. The joint venture will offer a one-stop-shop set of export services to make the process as easy as possible for customers, including:

Guaranteed payment from non-U.S. buyers.
Customs clearance.
Document handling.
End-to-end transportation to final destination.
Security of vehicle while in transport.
Akinvest has offices in Canada, Russia, Finland, and the United Arab Emirates. The current management will continue to oversee day-to-day operations and will work closely with Scott Stephens, general manager of international trade for Manheim.