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Our Mission
Deliver reliable and efficient international trade and transportation of cargo.
Who is ECS?
Creation of Puerto Rican Forwarding (PRF) by Mr. Henry Kantzer and Mr. Max Margolin, a consolidator who extended the advantages of containerization to shippers who did not have sufficient cargo to fill out a container. They were called LCL shipments (Less than a Container Load). As containerized services expanded around the world, PRF created services to take advantage of the containerization. PRF was operating a consolidation facility in Jersey City, then in North Bergen and had the only off pier ILA contract. Under the “50 miles rule”, PRF was the only consolidator able to operate within 50 miles of the port.
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1956
Creation of Sea-Land Service by Mr. Malcolm McLean. The first fully containerized shipping company serving the US to Puerto Rico trade.
1960
1969
Rolf Kuelke joins PRF as VP – European Container Service (ECS), a division created to handle consolidations between US & Europe. Michel Fuchs at 19 years old starts his career as a trainee.
The PRF group is named exclusive LCL agent for Seatrain International, a major container shipping company based in Weehawken, New Jersey.
1972
Michel Fuchs is named General Manager of ECS.
1978
Seatrain Lines goes bankrupt. ECS becomes exclusive LCL agent for Sea-Land Service.
1980
ECS is sold to a French transportation group called Rijba. Michel becomes President.
The 50 mile rule is abolished. ECS changes statute from agent of Sea-Land and becomes an NVOCC
1981
As Rijba gets into serious financial troubles, together with two former colleagues Peter Stratton and Angie Dunwoody, Michel start Express Consolidation Systems, the actual ECS.
1982
ECS takes over the management of Network Shipping, a shipping line agent specializing in connecting carrier representation. Network becomes agent for the North East for Tropical Shipping, the leading shipping line serving the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Headquarters move to 1 World Trade Center, on the 86th floor.
1983
Debbie Tabbanella joins ECS and develops freight forwarding activities under the name American World Cargo (AWC), a company ECS created for that purpose. AWC adds 3 offices in JFK, Charleston, and San Francisco.
1991
AWC France is established in Les Gets (near Geneva).
1994
Olivier joins ECS in the Hoboken office.
1998
1999
Olivier Fuchs opens AWC Florida, at first as the logistics support for key client, SDMO, then as a full fledge freight forwarder and NVOCC.
2002
Purchase of Caribmar Forwarding
Addition of 5 weekly Consolidations Services
Addition of Bonded Warehousing, CFS & IBEC
with top accounts such as Panasonic Latin America,
Food & Beverage Accounts and Coffee Exchange
Opening of AWC France in Lyon
2004
2006
Purchase of Sotecan – Long-time agency & partner of ECS – weekly East/West Transatlantic Consolidations
Purchase of 3000 m² warehouse in Lyon
2007
Rebranding to Garnett Group
2008
Consolidation of all US entities into ECS : Express Consolidation Systems Corp
ECS partners with Gulf Shipping in Trinidad
2015
ECS partners with Ocean Air Transport Service in Barbados
2016
Additional Line Agency for Seacor added to Garnett in France
2019
Covid
2020
Peter Stratton retires at 80 years old … we miss him!
2022
King Ocean acquires Seacor
2023
Olivier named President of ECS
2024
2017
Michel start liner agency activity in France for King Ocean Services
Michel opens French company (Garnett) to provide Line Agency services for King Ocean Services
We are a Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC), licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission and we’re able to offer Ocean Freight Services to our customers based on their needs and challenges.
As an Indirect Air Carrier (IAC), we can also offer our customers solutions by Air Freight to and from the US.
As a Freight Forwarder, we can offer personalized services to/from anywhere in the world. From picking up, packing, loading, lashing, trucking, no matter the size of your project, we have a solution to your needs.
With our warehousing partners across the world, can consolidate, deconsolidate, distribute, store for a long or short periods of time, even in temperature-controlled facilities (including refrigerated & frozen). In the US, we can offer Customs Bonded facilities if your cargo is just in transit or you’re not ready to clear customs, just yet.
We care about our customers, and we want you to be considered as a family member when you decide to use our services.
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