Grow your Business in Buffalo Niagara.

Universal Logistics is a third generation, family-owned business established in 1949 with 87 employees and five locations across Canada. Over these 70-plus years, Universal have grown and prospered by delivering innovative logistics solutions while still maintaining a family value approach to caring for their clients. Universal’s complete package of logistics services includes international freight, North American trucking, U.S. and Canadian customs brokerage and warehousing/distribution.

In 2009, Universal’s U.S. sales represented only 3-4% of the company’s overall sales, and they worked through a U.S. partner to provide their U.S. brokerage services. However, it was identified that a significant value-added client need would be met by establishing their own U.S. customs brokerage presence. A U.S. office would enable clients with product imports or exports, either to or from the U.S., to receive a single and trusted source for their U.S. customs brokerage, trucking, and distribution requirements. The solution was to take advantage of one of the two options available at the time: a ground level, start-up operation or an acquisition of a U.S. company. In a stroke of good luck and perfect timing, their existing U.S. partner in Buffalo proposed to sell their company and this created the optimum opportunity to make a fast track, strategic acquisition of an established U.S. customs broker.

GoGoPak is an Oakville, ON family owned company specializing in the sale of retail packaging and promotional products. The company has $1-2M in annual sales with services including custom printing solutions on packaging products such as bags, boxes, tissue paper, ribbon, labels, and string tags. In 2018, they were looking to the U.S. for expansion for various reasons. The high employee and power costs in Canada, their high percentage of U.S. sales and raw materials, bridge issues and delays for importing U.S. raw materials and sending orders to U.S. customers were all factors in their consideration of a U.S. facility. GoGoPak was also looking to bring the outsourced manufacturing for both their Canadian and U.S. orders back in house for better control over the product quality.

Aesku NY, Inc. is a recent spin-off of Wendelsheim, Germany-based AESKU.DIAGNOSTICS, a research-focused supplier of innovative and efficient products and services for the early detection, diagnosis and prognosis of autoimmune diseases. Founded in 2000, the company has grown to be a leader in the field of autoimmunity, launching over 140 products in over 80 countries worldwide. The company has small U.S.-based operations in both Atlanta, GA and Oakland, CA, the latter of which is its domestic headquarters.

FroggaBio is a Toronto-based leading distributor of laboratory products, supply instruments, reagents, and disposables. FroggaBio serves customers within academic and industrial research institutes, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and hospitals. Company leadership originally considered a U.S. expansion in 2013 and they began engaging with Invest Buffalo Niagara (InBN). At that time, the company incorporated in the US, but decided not to pursue its own bricks and mortar location.

The COVID-19 pandemic held a magnifying glass to many problems that already existed within our society and economy, one of those being the dependence on far away supply chains of personal protective equipment (PPE). This equipment – gowns, masks, face shields, etc. – has helped protect our frontline workers throughout the pandemic. As the globe braces for a potential second wave and attempts to safeguard against future crises, the community and local government has placed its attention on the revitalization of domestic manufacturing and supply of PPE.

View PPE Incentives blog

PatCom Medical is an early-stage Canadian medical device company focused on improving patient comfort during evaluation and treatment of communication and swallowing disorders. PatCom’s small diameter endoscopes, advanced light and camera technology, and patented Esophageal Introducer allow for easy intubation and more accurate testing, including Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), Videostroboscopy, and Reflux testing.

With 80% of the company’s sales in the U.S., having a physical presence in the States became a top priority. The company was looking for a region with a strong life and health sciences ecosystem, specifically within minimally invasive surgery innovation, as well as potential for academic partnerships.