Nottingham-based forward computers acquired by industry joint venture

Forward Computers, a notable freight software company in Nottingham, has been purchased by The Cardinal Partnership, Davies Turner, and Woodland Group. This strategic acquisition forms a new joint venture known as Forward Computers Alliance, with the company now operating under the brand name Forward Solutions.

The Cardinal Partnership and Woodland Group have been long-time clients of Forward Computers, having developed their digital logistics software internally for many years. Davies Turner has also been exploring the company’s offerings to enhance its own in-house freight management systems.

Forward Computers was initially acquired by Freight Software Group in 2019, which rebranded the company’s products under the Forward Solutions name in 2021 while maintaining ownership of BoxTop Technologies.

Christopher Hewlett, CEO of Freight Software Group, commented on the acquisition: “I was excited when two existing clients and a potential client made it clear that they were keen to combine forces to invest in the business and utilize their huge practical experience in the operation of freight forwarding and supply chain management services to influence the design of next-generation systems. The development will likely increase the number of staff employed by Forward Computers, which will remain headquartered in Nottingham, whilst having no negative impact on the existing IT structures of the three joint venture partners.”

Brian Hay, CEO of the Cardinal Partnership, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition: “We welcome this opportunity to acquire one of the UK’s foremost suppliers of software to the freight transport sector. With hundreds of years of collective experience in providing multimodal solutions across air, sea, road, and rail freight, the three partners understand how the industry is evolving, and how freight management software needs to evolve alongside to offer a range of processes and systems that deliver success. As co-owners, we look forward to supporting Forward in further developing its range of software solutions that help its clients adapt to an ever-changing landscape. Those clients, many of which have business relations with the joint venture’s three owners already, can rest assured that under the Forward Solutions brand, will continue to be run as a completely independent business, with client confidentiality assured.”