When C.H. Robinson (CHR) purchased Phoenix International back in 2012, it was seen as a win/win for both companies. Bill McInerney, who founded Phoenix in 1979, was looking for a company who could take his company to the next level after he left. C.H. Robinson was looking to expand into the International space, and offer their customers a one stop shop. By most measures it was a success, with both the domestic and International divisions showing good growth in the last 10 years.

That strategy is now under attack by an activist investor called Ancora Holdings, who would like to see C.H. Robinson sell the International division. They would like to see the nearly $25B company focus more closely on their domestic brokerage business, and the challenges posed by upstart 'digital' brokers. C.H. Robinsons CFO, Michael Zechmeister defends the status quo, citing 50% of their current customers using both divisions, and a 4% lift in revenue for clients who use both services vs only one.

In the midst of the debate, the former CHR CEO is gone, and they are in the midst of a search for a new one.

While domestic brokerage and global forwarding are too very different businesses, the allure of a one stop shop is a big one. However, from experience, it's much easier said than done. The two businesses are fundamentally different, and the purchasing managers for these services are often different as well.

I'm curious to hear what others think. One-stop-shop or separate?