As part of its attempt to control every link in the supply chain, Maersk, the Danish shipping behemoth, has acquired Pilot Freight Services in Glen Mills for $1.68 billion, writes Paul Berger for the Wall Street Journal.

Maersk has upped its acquisitions in the U.S. as it goes after a larger cut of domestic logistics spending.

Acquiring Pilot gives Maersk access to the delivery and installation of bulky items, like washers and dryers in people’s homes.

Last year, it purchased the e-commerce fulfillment firm Visible Supply Chain Management LLC, which specializes in smaller packages.

In 2020, it acquired Performance Team LLC, a warehousing and distribution specialist.

It has expanded its warehousing and distribution from 20 facilities to more than 150.

Maersk’s core business is international ocean freight, but shippers spend eight to nine times more on trucking, warehousing, and delivery.

“Now we want to get access to and bring the two flows together,” said Narin Phol, Maersk’s managing director for North America.

Ultimately, Maersk hopes to offer faster, more reliable services to shippers by overseeing every aspect of shipping, from when an item leaves a factory in Asia to home delivery.

Read more about Maersk in the Wall Street Journal.