JOC Group

JOC Group Inc. was a United States-based provider of intelligence, news, data, directories, and professional events for the trade, transportation, and logistics industries. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, the company operated as a specialized business-information group rather than as a consumer-facing product brand. Its audiences included companies, government bodies, trade associations, and other organizations involved in moving goods across international supply chains. The group’s best-known editorial property was The Journal of Commerce, a weekly business publication covering maritime transport, ports, rail and intermodal freight, trucking, air cargo, international logistics, regulation and public policy, economic developments, international trade, market data, and sector outlooks. The publication combined print and online distribution. Its digital offering included news and analysis as well as webcasts, white papers, and advertising opportunities for commercial clients. The Journal of Commerce had a circulation of approximately 15,000 according to the referenced account. JOC Group also operated PIERS, short for the Port Import/Export Reporting Service. PIERS supplied trade information based on import and export activity and was positioned as a data service for organizations analyzing cargo flows, markets, customers, suppliers, and international commerce. In addition, the group maintained directory databases serving international trade, railroad, and trucking markets. These assets extended the company’s role beyond publishing into specialist data and research services. The organization’s business model combined recurring information products with professional marketing and networking activities. Through its portfolio, JOC Group provided trade information to more than 1,600 companies, governments, and associations in more than 50 countries. It also staged approximately 11 conferences and exhibitions focused on international trade and maritime markets, giving the group an events platform alongside its publications and databases. The company underwent an important ownership and identity transition in 2013. Electra acquired JOC Group Inc. from UBM plc, a United Kingdom-based events, marketing-services, and communications company. Following that transaction, the business changed its name from UBM Global Trade Inc. to JOC Group Inc. In November 2014, IHS Inc. announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire JOC Group Inc. The available reference material does not establish the company’s current standalone operating status, ownership structure, leadership, or website, so those fields remain unspecified.

JOC Group was established in 2003 as a provider of information and services for businesses engaged in international trade, transportation, and logistics. Its activities were organized around the information needs of freight and supply-chain professionals rather than general consumers. The company combined editorial reporting, market data, directory products, and industry events, creating a portfolio that addressed both day-to-day operating intelligence and longer-term commercial analysis. Its central publishing property was The Journal of Commerce, a weekly news magazine focused on the movement of goods and the infrastructure supporting global commerce. Coverage included maritime shipping, ports, rail and intermodal transportation, trucking, air cargo, international logistics, government regulation, public policy, economic developments, and international trade. The publication was available in print and online. Its digital services included news and analysis, webcasts, white papers, and advertising opportunities for clients seeking access to the trade and logistics community. The publication’s reported circulation was approximately 15,000. JOC Group’s information activities also included PIERS, the Port Import/Export Reporting Service. PIERS was presented as a trade-information product for analyzing import and export activity. The group further operated directory databases covering international trade, railroad, and trucking markets. These products broadened the company’s role from a publisher into a specialist provider of structured information for commercial and institutional users. The group also used conferences and exhibitions as a complementary business line. It staged about 11 events serving international trade and maritime markets. These events supported professional networking and knowledge exchange while extending the reach of the company’s editorial and data brands. Across its portfolio, JOC Group supplied import and export information to more than 1,600 companies, governments, and associations in over 50 countries. Ownership changed in 2013. In April of that year, Electra acquired JOC Group Inc. from UBM plc, a United Kingdom-based company associated with events-led marketing services and communications. The acquired business changed its corporate name from UBM Global Trade Inc. to JOC Group Inc., making the JOC identity the principal corporate label described in the available material. A further ownership transition followed in 2014. IHS Inc. announced in November that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire JOC Group Inc. The available reference does not provide the final transaction terms, later integration details, subsequent executives, or a verified current operating status. Accordingly, the documented history ends with the announced IHS transaction rather than asserting a present-day standalone structure.

• 2014

  IHS announces a definitive acquisition agreement

  [1]JOC Groupen.wikipedia.org

  IHS Inc. announces in November that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire JOC Group Inc.

• 2013

  Electra acquires the business from UBM

  [1]JOC Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Electra acquires JOC Group Inc. from UBM plc in April. The company subsequently changes its name from UBM Global Trade Inc. to JOC Group Inc.

• 2003

  JOC Group is founded

  [1]JOC Groupen.wikipedia.org

  JOC Group is established as a provider of intelligence and information for trade, transportation, and logistics professionals.

A specialist business-information platform for professionals who require intelligence on international commerce, freight transportation, ports, shipping, and logistics.

• Trade and logistics business journalism

  The Journal of Commerce

  The Journal of Commerce was JOC Group’s weekly news magazine and principal editorial brand. It covered maritime shipping, ports, rail and intermodal freight, trucking, air cargo, international logistics, regulation, public policy, economic developments, international trade, market data, and annual sector reviews. The publication had print and online editions, with digital features including news and analysis, webcasts, white papers, and advertising opportunities.

• Import and export trade data

  PIERS

  PIERS, or the Port Import/Export Reporting Service, was a specialist trade-information offering associated with JOC Group. It provided import and export information intended for organizations studying international cargo activity and trade flows. The available material identifies PIERS as one of the group’s core brands but does not specify its current ownership or operating status.

• Industry directories and databases

  Trade, railroad, and trucking directories

  JOC Group maintained directory databases covering international trade, railroad, and trucking markets. These products complemented its journalism and port-data services by organizing sector-specific information for professional users. The supplied reference does not identify individual directory titles or provide current product details.

• Professional events

  Trade and maritime conferences and exhibitions

  The group staged approximately 11 conferences and exhibitions serving international trade and maritime markets. These events formed an important part of its business-information and professional-networking offer, alongside publications and databases. Specific event names, locations, and continuation after the IHS acquisition are not established by the supplied material.

• 2014

  IHS announces agreement to acquire JOC GroupM&A

  Background

  JOC Group operated a portfolio of trade journalism, data services, directories, and professional events for international logistics and transportation markets.

  Action taken

  IHS Inc. announced in November 2014 that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire JOC Group Inc.

  Aftermath

  The supplied reference does not document closing terms, integration arrangements, or the company’s later standalone status.

  Source

• 2013

  Electra acquisition and corporate renamingM&A

  Background

  UBM plc owned the business before selling it to Electra in April 2013. At that time, the company was known as UBM Global Trade Inc.

  Action taken

  Electra acquired the business, after which it adopted the name JOC Group Inc.

  Aftermath

  The transaction restored JOC Group as the corporate identity described in the available reference material. No further operational or financial consequences are specified.

  Source

1. 1JOC Groupen.wikipedia.org