IBC Bermuda announced on Friday that it is expanding once again by assuming the client base of Swift International, a shipping company based in Bermuda.

As part of the deal, IBC will move Swift's local messenger and "Swift Direct" US address forwarding services to IBC services.

"This is an exciting opportunity for IBC to increase our client base and work with Swift on a number of areas," said Glen Smith, president and CEO of IBC. "We will continue to look for acquisition and partnering opportunities which will enable us to better serve our growing customer base."

Swift's clients affected by the move will be transferred to IBC's personal and corporate messenger service and Zip Express. "The move to IBC will be seamless to existing Swift customers," explained Rick Craft, vice president of sales and international services. "We are confident that these customers will be pleased with the service they will receive from IBC." Mr. Craft said the move came about because Swift wanted to concentrate on the freight side of their business. He also said Swift's local and "Swift Direct" services were a natural fit for IBC.

A Bermuda-based company, Mr. Craft said IBC has been serving the Island's delivery needs for 13 years, and today employs more than 70 Bermudians.

The company launched the ZipX line of products with ZipX Express in 1999, which has become a popular way for Bermudians to access products and services often limited to US and Canadian residents. Zip Pix, a discount photo development service, was launched in 2000 and ZipX Wholesale was launched in autumn 2001.