IHS to Buy Maritime BI Firm JOC Group

US-based information and analytics firm IHS has continued its acquisition strategy with an agreement to buy maritime business intelligence firm JOC Group from parent company AXIO Data Group. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Newark, New Jersey-based JOC Group has 117 employees, based mostly in the US but with a three-person presence in China. The firm provides business intelligence, data and events covering the global container shipping and logistics market, and its products include the PIERS database of seaborne US imports and exports, and a market insight platform containing information about global commerce and conference programs for trans-Pacific trade participants. It also offers RailResource, which provides data on brands that serve North American freight railroad and rail-supply markets.

So far this year, IHS has acquired merchandise trade data provider Global Trade Information Services; chemical market insight and consulting firm PCI Acrylonitrile; and two subsidiary firms from retail researcher the NPD Group: flat-panel display specialist DisplaySearch and solar energy MR business Solarbuzz. President and CEO Scott Key says that the acquisition of JOC will establish IHS as a 'world-leading provider' of maritime and trade intelligence.

Gavin Carter (pictured), CEO of JOC Group, adds: 'As a truly global market information and analytics company, IHS has a track record of buying and building businesses, offering stability and a focus that will allow JOC Group to provide our customers with an even richer array of information and analytics. We look forward to the opportunity to join such a dynamic company and become part of the IHS team.'

Web sites: www.ihs.com and www.joc.com .