After 25 years of organic growth including opening 18 new offices in the last 24 months throughout the US, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Worldwide Logistics Group has completed its first acquisition by acquiring P. W. Bellingall, Inc. (PWB), a leading customs brokerage house in San Francisco, California.
The acquisition will help grow Worldwide Logistics Group’s in-house customs brokerage services and expand its footprint into the Northern California market.
PWB was founded over a century ago, bringing a customs brokerage know-how and a primary focus on the coffee/food industry.
“From the beginning, PWB handled many commodities of imported cargo, but green coffee became a niche business. It started with the Folger Coffee Company and grew from there,” said Robin Jabin, owner of P. W. Bellingall, Inc.
“We love the idea of acquiring a company that is a market leader within a specific niche and all of the expertise that comes along with it,” said Tom Peacock, President of Worldwide Logistics Group.
“While we are open to strategic ‘tuck in’ acquisitions, we will continue to emphasize organic growth as we have for our 25-year history,” said Joe Monaghan, Chairman and CEO of Worldwide Logistics Group.
Worldwide Logistics Group already works within the food and beverage market and has an AIB-certified warehouse in the New York area. The acquisition allows Worldwide Logistics Group the opportunity to tap into the expertise of the coffee and food industry from a customs brokerage standpoint, as well as offer in-house customs brokerage services to their food and beverage customers.
Concurrently, Worldwide Logistics Group can offer its full line of logistics services to current PWB customs brokerage customers.
“We believe we’ll be able to offer PWB’s existing customers a more comprehensive solution based on the offerings and footprint of our global company,” said Peacock.
Worldwide Logistics Group has 40 offices strategically located in 20 countries worldwide, offering a full line of logistics services that includes air freight, sea freight, land/road transportation, e-commerce services, cross trade, project cargo and in-house customs brokerage services. The company also operates seven company-owned warehouses and distribution centers in the US and Europe.
Robin and Larry Jabin, the owners of P. W. Bellingall, Inc., will join Worldwide Logistics Group while the company continues building the team.
“The Jabin’s are legendary in the customs brokerage arena in Northern California because of their hands-on personal service. The culture at Worldwide Logistics Group is similar. We’re looking forward to working with the entire PWB team,” said Peacock.
“While we have remained a small business for all these years, we have been able to offer the personal service our customers have come to expect,” added Jabin.
PWB was started in 1872. Founder Peter William Bellingall was a sergeant in the civil war. After his war duties and with the help of a recommendation letter from General Ulysses S. Grant, Bellingall took a job with the U.S. Customs Service in San Francisco where he learned the business.
Eventually, P. W. Bellingall, Inc. was handed down to Bellingall’s son, Ralph, and then to Dennis S. Falk, Robin Jabin’s father. Jabin acquired the business in 1986.
For more information about the acquisition or any of the Worldwide Logistics Group services, please contact your sales representative.