Alba Wheels Up

What Alba Wheels Up does

Alba Wheels Up International, LLC is a U.S. licensed customs broker and freight forwarder headquartered in Valley Stream, New York, serving importers and exporters across eight trade-sensitive verticals: meat/seafood/dairy, produce and perishables, wine and spirits, food and beverage, chemicals and EPA-regulated products, apparel and footwear, semiconductors and electronics, and lumber/paper/pulp. The company was formed in 1998 through the merger of Alba (founded 1949) and Wheels Up International (founded 1994), and operates today as a portfolio company of private equity sponsor Southfield Capital under co-chairmen Salvatore Stile II and Damien Stile, with CEO Luis Eraña (formerly of ProTrans/DHL) leading the platform. Alba holds CTPAT partnership status, TSA-approved Indirect Air Carrier (IAC) credentials, and FMC-licensed Ocean Transportation Intermediary (OTI) status, enabling it to file customs entries, coordinate with FDA/USDA/TTB/EPA partner agencies, and procure multimodal freight across air, ocean, rail, and truck.

The company monetizes primarily through transaction-fee revenue on customs clearance and freight forwarding, complemented by professional-services fees for trade advisory (compliance audits, binding rulings, drawback), subscription-based access to its Neo Customer Portal and Tradeverifyd risk-assessment module, and warehouse-and-distribution revenue from its Cobalt Wine Logistics unit. Alba's technology stack centers on the Neo platform — a cloud-based supply chain management system with API integrations to major ERP and e-Commerce platforms — and the Tradeverifyd module, an AI/ML-driven forced-labor detection tool built in partnership with CBP under the Silicon Valley Innovation Program. Distribution is delivered through 10 U.S. offices at major ports of entry (Jersey City, Los Angeles, South San Francisco, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chesapeake, Miami, Napa, Bristol), an enterprise field sales team of licensed customs brokers, and a December 2025-launched direct Mexico-to-U.S. East Coast ocean service for perishables.

Alba has executed five disclosed acquisitions since 2022 — KSI Corp. (semiconductors, 2022), V.T. Mancusi (FDA-regulated, 2023), John A. Steer Co. (meat and dairy, 2024), The Perishable Specialist (produce, 2025), and North Coast Logistics (wine and spirits, 2025) — building a national roll-up platform that processes hundreds of thousands of customs entries annually worth billions of dollars across highly regulated commodities.

Name

Alba Wheels Up

Legal name

Alba Wheels Up International, LLC

Website

https://albawheelsup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Alba Wheels Up is a U.S. licensed customs broker and freight forwarder serving importers and exporters across eight trade-sensitive verticals — including perishables, wine and spirits, semiconductors, and chemicals — through a national platform of 10 offices, proprietary Neo and Tradeverifyd technology, and PE-backed (Southfield Capital) roll-up acquisitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Customs Brokerage & Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Support Activities for Transportation (488), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Support Activities for Rail Transportation (488210)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sanctions, Embargo & Export Controls (EAR/ITAR) Compliance Tools (TLAEAOAI), Trade Compliance & Ocean Regulatory Services (Sanctions/Export Controls) (TLACABAL)

Keywords

• Customs brokerage services
• Freight forwarding logistics
• Trade compliance consulting
• Supply chain management
• Cargo transportation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Valley Stream

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Customs Brokerage Services: Fees for customs clearance, tariff classification, entry preparation, and regulatory compliance services. Includes coordination with CBP and partner government agencies for expedited release.
2. Freight Forwarding & Transportation: Logistics services including airfreight, ocean freight, rail freight, trucking, and intermodal solutions. Revenue based on shipment volume and service complexity.
3. Trade Advisory Services: Compliance consulting including valuation determinations, binding ruling requests, ACE portal management, compliance programs (ISA, CTPAT, Green Trade), drawback services, and reconciliation.
4. Technology Platform Services: Subscription-based access to Neo portal, Tradeverifyd risk assessments, and business intelligence reporting capabilities.
5. Cargo Insurance: Insurance procurement services providing warehouse-to-warehouse coverage for multimodal cargo journeys with customized quotes.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Alba Wheels Up is a licensed U.S. customs broker and freight forwarder that provides end-to-end supply chain solutions for importers and exporters. The company's core offerings are organized around three service pillars—Customs Brokerage Services (tariff classification, CBP filing, special entries, FTZ support), Logistics & Freight Services (air, ocean, rail, trucking, cargo insurance), and Trade Advisory Services (compliance programs, binding rulings, drawback)—supported by the proprietary Neo Customer Portal for shipment visibility and the Tradeverifyd solution for AI-powered UFLPA forced labor risk assessment.

Product overview

Alba Wheels Up International is a licensed U.S. Customs broker and trade compliance firm offering a platform-plus-specialist architecture. The core Neo Customer Portal provides unified supply chain management with business intelligence, analytics, shipment tracking, and performance reporting. This platform integrates with specialized modules like Tradeverifyd for AI-powered supply chain risk assessment. Alba's service portfolio is organized around three core pillars: Customs Brokerage Services (tariff classification, CBP filing, special entries, FTZ support), Logistics & Freight Services (air, ocean, rail, trucking, cargo insurance), and Trade Advisory Services (compliance programs, binding rulings, drawback). The company has grown through strategic acquisitions into a national platform: KSI Corp. (2022) for semiconductors and electronics, John A. Steer Co. (2024) for meat and dairy, VT Mancusi (2023) for FDA-regulated goods, Cobalt Wine Logistics for beverage alcohol, Advanced Customs Brokers International for perishables, and The Perishable Specialist for fresh produce—all operating under one unified commercial framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cobalt Wine Logistics: Wine and spirits logistics subsidiary providing fully integrated supply chain solutions for the beverage alcohol industry.
• Advanced Customs Brokers International (ACB)
• John A. Steer Company
• The Perishable Specialist (PSI)
• Tradeverifyd
• Alba Neo Platform

Products and services

• Customs Brokerage Services Licensed U.S. customs brokerage services including tariff classification, CBP filing, special entry types (TIBs, carnets), FTZ support, in-bond transfers, and customs consulting for trade-sensitive products. Serves importers and exporters across all major U.S. ports of entry.
• Logistics & Freight Services End-to-end logistics solutions including airfreight, ocean freight, rail freight, trucking, and intermodal transportation. As a TSA-approved Indirect Air Carrier (IAC) and FMC-licensed Ocean Transportation Intermediary (OTI), the company partners with all major airlines, steamship lines, trucking firms, and rail carriers.
• Trade Advisory Services Trade compliance consulting including valuation and origin determinations, binding ruling requests, ACE portal management, compliance programs (ISA, CTPAT, Green Trade), drawback services, and reconciliation. Also includes supply chain mapping & risk assessment, business intelligence analytics, detention resolution, regulatory advisories, and compliance audits.
• Cargo Insurance Insurance procurement services providing warehouse-to-warehouse coverage for multimodal cargo journeys with customized quotes.
• Neo Customer Portal Cloud-based supply chain management platform providing tracking, real-time visibility, customized dashboards, shipment management, customs declarations, business intelligence reporting, and AI-powered analytics. Connects customers directly to shipments and the Alba team. Offers data feeds via API or file for integration with all major ERP and e-Commerce platforms.
• Tradeverifyd Supply Chain Risk Assessment AI-powered supply chain risk analysis solution developed in partnership with Tradeverifyd and CBP (via the Silicon Valley Innovation Program) to evaluate forced labor risks under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). Uses satellite imagery, machine learning, and multi-source OSINT data to generate compliance scores from 0-1000 for supply chain transparency.
• Direct Mexico-U.S. East Coast Ocean Service New direct ocean container service from Mexico to the U.S. East Coast for meat and perishable goods. Offers weekly sailings and support for temperature-sensitive cargo, combining ocean transportation with Alba's trade expertise and regulatory compliance capabilities into an end-to-end supply chain solution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of thousands of customs entries processed annually worth billions of dollars
• +1 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TradeverifydcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership to provide supply chain risk assessment and forced labor detection. Tradeverifyd has been working with CBP since 2020 on identifying forced labor in supply chains. The solution uses AI, satellite imagery, and machine learning to evaluate UFLPA compliance risk and provide compliance scores from 0-1000.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBP partnered with Tradeverifyd (Alba's partner) through the Silicon Valley Innovation Program under DHS to develop global modernization strategy and interoperability standards. Alba's solution is described as 'CBP approved' for UFLPA risk assessment.
• Major Airlines (Airfreight Partners)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAs a TSA-approved Indirect Air Carrier (IAC), Alba works with all major airlines to offer diverse selection of routes and capacity for time-sensitive airfreight shipments.
• Major Steamship Lines (Ocean Freight Partners)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAs an FMC-licensed Ocean Transportation Intermediary (OTI), Alba works with all major steamship lines to secure competitive rates, regular and specialized equipment, and capacity for ocean freight.
• Trucking Service PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNationwide trucking resources including chassis at ports, reefer trucks, box trucks, tankers, and specialized equipment. Vetted and reliable service partners for FTL, LTL, and expedited shipping.
• Rail CarriersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with rail network for transloading and intermodal rail cargo, providing cost-effective cross-country shipping options for clients electing to customs clear at first port.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GAC Group: Global logistics provider offering freight forwarding, customs clearance, and trade compliance across multiple regions. Comparable core offering in customs brokerage and trade advisory but at broader international scope.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Top-tier global forwarder with extensive customs brokerage, trade compliance, and industry-specific verticals (including perishables and healthcare). Comparable in vertical specialization but at much larger scale.
• Expeditors International: Major global freight forwarder with customs brokerage and trade compliance capabilities across air, ocean, and ground. Comparable services but operates at substantially larger scale and asset-light global model.
• DHL Global Forwarding: World's largest air and ocean freight forwarder with integrated customs brokerage and trade compliance services. Comparable end-to-end offering across trade-sensitive verticals but at significantly greater global scale.
• C.H. Robinson: One of the largest US-based 3PLs offering customs brokerage, freight forwarding, and trade compliance as part of a much broader logistics portfolio. Comparable customs offerings but at significantly larger scale and broader scope.

Direct peers

• Fowler & Hunt / C.J. Kuehner & Co. US-focused customs brokerage and trade compliance specialist serving trade-sensitive importers. Closely comparable business model and customer base, though operating at smaller scale without Alba's PE-backed M&A platform.
• Livingston International: One of the largest North American-focused customs brokers and trade compliance specialists. Directly comparable to Alba in its customs brokerage core, vertical specialization, and trade advisory services, with similar exposure to US import regulatory complexity.
• PSA BDP (formerly BDP International): Global freight forwarder with deep customs brokerage and trade compliance practice. Closely comparable on multimodal forwarding, customs brokerage across verticals, and trade advisory services; a recent employer of Alba's EVP Commercial.
• Crane Worldwide Logistics: Mid-sized global forwarder with customs brokerage, trade consulting, and project/heavy lift capabilities. A former employer of Alba's EVP Commercial, and comparable in scale, customs focus, and trade-sensitive vertical exposure.
• AFEX (Associated Foreign Exchange): Trade compliance and customs-focused services provider addressing cross-border regulatory complexity for importers and exporters. Comparable trade advisory and compliance consulting scope though narrower logistics offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/albawheelsup
• Facebookfacebook.com/AlbaWheelsUp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alba-wheels-up-intl-inc.

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alba Wheels Up