The Farrow Group
The Farrow Group is a North American customs brokerage and trade consulting firm founded in 1911, serving 7.5k clients across automotive, manufacturing, retail, life sciences, and other verticals with 24/7 clearance services and proprietary TradeSmart Connect technology. Wholly owned by Kuehne+Nagel since 2024, operating across 118 North American locations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1911
- HeadquartersWindsor, Canada
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Farrow Group does
The Farrow Group (legal name: Russell A. Farrow Limited) is a North American customs brokerage, trade consulting, and integrated logistics company headquartered in Windsor, Ontario, founded in 1911. The company operates 15 owned offices and warehouses across Canada and, through its 2024 acquisition by Kuehne+Nagel Group, accesses a network of 118 North American logistics locations spanning Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Farrow serves approximately 7.5k clients across 10 verticals including automotive, manufacturing, food & beverage, consumer retail, agriculture, oil & gas, life sciences, aerospace & defense, footwear & apparel, and pulp & paper.
Farrow's core services are customs brokerage (24/7/365 clearance across all transport modes — air, sea, rail, road — with EDI, API, and FTP data exchange) and trade consulting (tariff classification, duty recovery and drawbacks, FTA support including USMCA, compliance audits, and CARM Client Portal management). Its proprietary technology stack centers on the TradeSmart Connect client portal, providing real-time shipment tracking, on-demand reporting, and document management, supplemented by the Farrow Tracker mobile app for PARS/PAPS tracking. The company maintains an industry-leading entry error rate of just over 1% through 100% audit of entries by senior staff, with 31% of operational staff holding CCS or PFF industry designations.
Farrow operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuehne+Nagel Group since January 31, 2024, while retaining its name, brand, and standalone executive leadership under Chairman Rick Farrow. Revenue is generated through transaction fees on customs brokerage, professional services fees on trade consulting, and managed services for integrated logistics — pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Since the K+N acquisition, Farrow has relocated multiple offices (Chicago, Calgary, Houston, Montreal) into Kuehne+Nagel buildings, indicating systematic integration of the parent's global freight forwarding, warehousing, and digital supply chain capabilities with Farrow's North American customs franchise.
The Farrow Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Farrow Group
- Legal name
- Russell A. Farrow Limited
- Website
- https://farrow.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1911
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- The Farrow Group is a North American customs brokerage and trade consulting firm founded in 1911, serving 7.5k clients across automotive, manufacturing, retail, life sciences, and other verticals with 24/7 clearance services and proprietary TradeSmart Connect technology. Wholly owned by Kuehne+Nagel since 2024, operating across 118 North American locations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Farrow Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Customs Brokerage and Trade Consulting
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Customs & Regulatory Filing Documentation (Entry/Exit Summaries, Declarations, ENS/AMS/ACI) (TLACAHAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cross-Border Intermodal (Customs-in-Transit/Transit Regimes) Forwarding (TLACAEAJ), Cross-Border Specialty-Regulated Small Parcels (Medical, Hazmat, Controlled Goods) (TLAAANAJ)
Keywords
Where The Farrow Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Windsor
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices12 records
Markets served
The Farrow Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Customs Brokerage Services: Fees for facilitating customs clearance for goods entering Canada, United States, and Mexico via all transport modes. Services include tariff classification, value-for-duty determination, free trade agreement benefits, and customs documentation assistance.
- Trade Consulting: Expert advisory services including duty recovery, refunds, tariff classification, compliance audits, free trade agreement support, CARM Client Portal management, and regulatory compliance guidance.
- Integrated Logistics Services: Transportation coordination, drayage, transfers, and warehouse capabilities provided in partnership with Kuehne+Nagel's global logistics network.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Customs Brokerage and Trade Consulting Services - quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
The Farrow Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Farrow Group is a North American customs broker and trade consultancy that helps businesses move goods across the Canada–U.S.–Mexico borders. It provides licensed customs brokerage across all transport modes (Air, Sea, Rail, Road), trade consulting (tariff classification, duty recovery, FTA support, compliance audits), and integrated logistics through its partnership with Kuehne+Nagel. Its TradeSmart Connect portal and Farrow Tracker mobile app provide real-time shipment visibility and document management for shippers, brokers, and carriers.
Product overview
Farrow is a North American customs brokerage and logistics company offering a portfolio of services centered on its TradeSmart Connect platform. TradeSmart Connect is Farrow's primary client-facing digital portal providing real-time shipment tracking, document management, and on-demand reporting for cross-border shipments across all transportation modes (Air, Sea, Rail, Road) in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Complementing the platform is the Farrow Tracker mobile app for PARS/PAPS tracking on the go, along with core service lines covering customs brokerage (24/7 clearance, EDI/API data exchange, compliance programs) and trade consulting (tariff classification, duty recovery, FTA support, compliance audits, CARM portal management). Farrow also operates Link+ Corporation as an acquired customs brokerage subsidiary. The company operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuehne+Nagel, whose global logistics network supports freight forwarding, warehousing, and digital supply chain capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TradeSmart Connect: Secure information portal providing visibility to U.S. and/or Canada import data with real-time shipment tracking, report generation, and document management.
Products and services
- Customs Brokerage Comprehensive customs brokerage services throughout Canada, the United States, and Mexico covering all transport modes (Air, Sea, Rail, Road), with 24/7/365 processing centers, EDI/API data exchange, ISF filings, document management, CTPAT and PIP validation, and compliance support for businesses importing or exporting goods across North America.
- Trade Consulting Expert trade consulting services including tariff classification, duty recovery and drawbacks, free trade agreement support (USMCA, CETA, CPTPP), compliance audits, CARM Client Portal management, valuation, and regulatory advisory for businesses importing or exporting across Canada and the United States.
- TradeSmart Connect Farrow's flagship client-facing secure information portal providing real-time shipment tracking, on-demand reporting, document management, and visibility to U.S. and Canada import data across all transportation modes (Air, Sea, Rail, Road), with single sign-on, country toggle between Canada and U.S. imports, tailored dashboards, and scheduled reporting for enterprise clients.
- Farrow Tracker Mobile App Mobile application enabling carriers to track PARS (Canadian imports) and PAPS (U.S. imports) shipments in real time, receive barcode scanning and push notification alerts, and monitor cross-border shipment release from their phone.
- TradeSmart EZ-LINK A trade management tool available as part of the TradeSmart Connect ecosystem for streamlined customs entry processing and data management.
- Link+ Corporation Customs Brokerage
Quantifiable outcome
- Industry-leading error rate of just over 1% compared to professional broker error rates around 3% and broader studies showing 34-40% of all customs declarations contain potential errors or discrepancies
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Farrow Group
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments10 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Farrow Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Farrow Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Link+ CorporationcoreFarrow acquired Link+ Corporation (headquartered in London, Ontario) on May 12, 2023. This acquisition increased market coverage across the province of Ontario and added additional trade experts with specializations across various industries. Link+ built a valuable reputation as a customs broker of great integrity, skill, and customer centricity.
- CORTEZ Customhouse Brokerage Company and CORTEZ Global LogisticscoreIn 2008, the Farrow network was expanded with the acquisition of CORTEZ Customhouse Brokerage Company and CORTEZ Global Logistics. This acquisition significantly broadened Farrow's international freight forwarding and logistics capabilities as well as services to and from Mexico.
- Canadian Trade Resources Ltd., Henry Weiner Inc., J.MacD.Thomson Ltd., Mid West Higinbotham Ltd.majorIn 1995, Farrow amalgamated with four other well-established customs brokers - Canadian Trade Resources Ltd. of Windsor, Henry Weiner Inc. and J.MacD.Thomson Ltd. both of Toronto, and Mid West Higinbotham Ltd. of Edmonton - to form an integrated national customs brokerage and logistics organization under the Farrow name.
- Kuehne+Nagel (Logistics Partnership)coreFarrow operates with 118 locations throughout a robust logistics network of offices and warehouses across North America, in partnership with Kuehne+Nagel. With the added network support of Kuehne+Nagel's customs management expertise and extensive global logistics network of freight forwarding, warehousing, and digital supply chain capabilities, clients benefit from a fully integrated trade solution.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Farrow Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Livingston International: Canada's largest customs broker and trade management specialist, offering customs brokerage, trade consulting, and freight forwarding across North America. Operates the most direct competing model to Farrow, especially in cross-border entry filing, FTA/USMCA advisory, and duty recovery.
- A.N. Deringer: U.S.-headquartered customs broker with strong cross-border expertise between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Closely comparable to Farrow across customs clearance, classification, and consulting for shippers in similar verticals.
- Cole International: Canadian customs broker offering customs brokerage and trade consulting across North America, including the U.S. border. A regional direct peer with a similar mid-market customs-brokerage and consulting model, though at smaller scale.
- C.H. Robinson Worldwide: Large U.S.-based 3PL and customs broker that arranges freight movement and customs clearance for North American shippers. A direct competitor in trade compliance services, particularly for shippers needing integrated customs + freight forwarding.
- EMO Trans: Global logistics company with customs brokerage and trade compliance services in North America, including Canada. Comparable in that it bundles brokerage with consulting and forwarding for cross-border shippers.
Broad incumbents
- Kuehne+Nagel: Farrow's parent since January 2024 and the world's largest ocean freight forwarder. Operates a global customs management offering that overlaps with Farrow at the top end of the global market while dwarfing Farrow in scope and scale.
- DHL Global Forwarding: Global logistics provider with customs brokerage and trade compliance services across North America and worldwide. A broad incumbent competitor offering similar customs clearances alongside a larger freight forwarding portfolio.
- Expeditors International: Global logistics company providing customs brokerage and trade compliance within a broad freight forwarding portfolio. Overlaps with Farrow on customs clearance but serves a much wider global customer set and asset-light model.
- UPS Supply Chain Solutions: Broader logistics and supply chain solutions arm of UPS that includes customs brokerage and trade compliance across North America. A broad incumbent with overlap on cross-border filings, particularly for shippers using UPS parcel/parcel freight services.
- FedEx Trade Networks: FedEx's customs brokerage and global trade services arm providing cross-border clearance and consulting. Operates in adjacent verticals (life sciences, hazardous goods) and competes with Farrow for enterprise customs work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Farrow Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Farrow Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Farrow Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
The Farrow Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
The Farrow Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Farrow Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Farrow Group
What does The Farrow Group do?
The Farrow Group is a North American customs broker and trade consultancy that helps businesses move goods across the Canada–U.S.–Mexico borders. It provides licensed customs brokerage across all transport modes (Air, Sea, Rail, Road), trade consulting (tariff classification, duty recovery, FTA support, compliance audits), and integrated logistics through its partnership with Kuehne+Nagel. Its TradeSmart Connect portal and Farrow Tracker mobile app provide real-time shipment visibility and document management for shippers, brokers, and carriers.
Is The Farrow Group a public or private company?
The Farrow Group is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The Farrow Group founded?
The Farrow Group was founded in 1911. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is The Farrow Group based?
The Farrow Group is headquartered in Windsor, Canada, in the North America region.
How does The Farrow Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Customs Brokerage Services are the primary driver. The others are trade Consulting and integrated Logistics Services.
Who are The Farrow Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Livingston International, A.N. Deringer, Cole International, C.H. Robinson Worldwide and EMO Trans. Broad incumbents are Kuehne+Nagel, DHL Global Forwarding, Expeditors International, UPS Supply Chain Solutions and FedEx Trade Networks.
Does The Farrow Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Farrow Group.
What industry is The Farrow Group in?
The Farrow Group's product category is Customs Brokerage and Trade Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACAHAE, Customs & Regulatory Filing Documentation (Entry/Exit Summaries, Declarations, ENS/AMS/ACI), with a secondary code of TLACAEAJ, Cross-Border Intermodal (Customs-in-Transit/Transit Regimes) Forwarding. Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.