Masterpiece introduces Turtle North America

The innovative, safe and sustainable museum crate is now available in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

We are pleased to announce that Masterpiece International will offer a new product line as the exclusive distributor of Turtle crates in the United States, Canada and Mexico, through Turtle North America. The Turtle is a sustainable, durable and reusable substitute for traditional wooden crates used to provide maximum protection for artwork during transport. Turtle N.A. and Masterpiece will begin rolling out Turtles immediately, with plans to scale the operation over the coming years.

The Turtle, created by Hizkia Van Kralingen, is used by leading museums in Europe and around the world for the safe and sustainable transport of their most precious and valuable artworks. “We are very excited about the opportunity to make the Turtle available for lease to the North American market,” said John O’Halloran, Masterpiece’s President of Fine Arts and Security Group. “Demand for bespoke crating will always be a part of our industry; however, we see this as a sustainable, efficient way to transport the standard size artworks that exist today. Turtle North America has stocked a starting inventory which is now available.”

The patented crates provide protection against variations in relative humidity and temperature, and feature customized technology with unsurpassed absorption of shock and vibration. A single crate can be used for various sizes of work – either a larger singular or several smaller works can be transported at the same time. The Turtle’s interior layout is adjustable due to the unique corner support system.

“The Turtle is a product line extension that will add value to customers who want a reusable crating solution,” said Thomas Gilgen, President of Masterpiece International. “The investment was made because we believe it will lead an industry shift that benefits all parties,” he added.

Turtle crates will be available for lease through Turtle North America and Masterpiece International. Turtle North America has a limited starting inventory of crates available immediately by reservation only, with additional crates available soon.

Please visit Turtle for more information.

About Masterpiece International

Founded in 1989 in New York City, Masterpiece International remains the preeminent logistics provider to the Fine Arts community, offering customs brokerage and a full-suite of international logistics services for a wide range of industries. With over 260 professionals in 17 locations across the United States, access to every major U.S. port and airport, and an expansive worldwide network. Masterpiece is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Magnate Worldwide, a Chicago-based company with decades of experience investing in middle market companies with high growth potential. For more information, please visit:

www.masterpieceintl.com & www.magnateworldwide.com