By Jack Kintner

A&A Customs Brokers has consolidated its operation in Blaine after buying the former Totally Chocolate building last month from Jeff Robinson.

The company employs 25 people and until moving into the 29,000 square foot facility at 1855 Pipeline Road was spread out among three locations, two in Blaine and one in Ferndale.

“By doing this we brought it all back to Blaine, including the jobs,” said owner Graham Robins.

He and his wife Candy started the business just north of Blaine as A & A Contract Customs Brokers Ltd. in March of 1979. He operated intermittently in the U.S. as well, renting the old Blaine Building Materials warehouse, and by 1992, with offices in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba, his business needed a more substantial U.S. presence.

In January of 2004 they changed the name of their business to A & A Contract Customs Brokers USA Inc. Over the next two years they expanded into warehouses in Blaine and Ferndale and were looking at a second Ferndale site when he heard about the chocolate factory’s building becoming available.

With the help and encouragement of Blaine city manager Gary Tomsic, Robins closed the sale with Robinson on January 31 for $1.6 million.