Cole International
Cole International is a Calgary-headquartered, North American customs brokerage, freight forwarding, and trade consulting firm — now a Mullen Group subsidiary — serving importers and exporters across multiple verticals with integrated cross-border services and a network of offices at major border crossings.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1958
- HeadquartersCalgary, Canada
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cole International does
Cole International Inc. is a Calgary-headquartered, North American customs brokerage, freight forwarding, and trade consulting firm incorporated in 1958 with operating origins in Thunder Bay dating to the 1920s. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mullen Group Ltd. (TSX:MTL) following a 2025 acquisition, and operates across Canada and the United States with offices at major border crossings spanning Vancouver to St. John's. Cole International serves importers and exporters across verticals including Aerospace, Agriculture, Automotive, eCommerce, High Tech, Oil & Gas, and Retail, with General Importers/Exporters as a horizontal segment.
The company's core offering integrates three service lines: licensed customs brokerage (covering Canada and U.S. clearance, HS classification, duty calculation, Non-Resident Importer representation, FBA imports, and vehicle imports); freight forwarding (ground, ocean, air, and large-scale project logistics) through a network of carriers and agents; and trade consulting (customs and compliance advisory, free trade agreement optimization across USMCA/CUSMA, CPTPP, and CETA, plus audit response support). Underlying these services are the Cole Carriers mobile app for real-time PARS/PAPS tracking on iOS and Android, dedicated online portals for CDN Brokerage, U.S. Brokerage, and Freight customers, and supporting shipping tools (currency converter, dimensional weight calculator, Incoterms reference, wood packaging checker).
Cole International generates revenue on a transaction-fee basis for brokerage and forwarding, with professional-services pricing for consulting work. Distribution is direct-sales led via website quote requests, toll-free phone, and physical offices at border crossings, supplemented by self-service through the customer portals. Headcount is reported in the 501–1,000 range, and the company's wholly-owned subsidiaries include Cole International USA Inc. (U.S. customs brokerage, acquired 2006), Cancon Logistics Inc. (warehousing and distribution), Lawrence Customs Brokers Ltd. (Western Canada customs, acquired 1987), Abco International Freight (Far East focus, 1993), and Cole Freight Inc. (air/ocean forwarding, 1985). Cole has been recognized with Consumer Choice Awards in five Canadian cities and reports that 48% of its team held Certified Canadian Customs Specialist credentials by 2022.
Cole International firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cole International
- Legal name
- Cole International Inc.
- Website
- https://coleintl.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1958
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Cole International is a Calgary-headquartered, North American customs brokerage, freight forwarding, and trade consulting firm — now a Mullen Group subsidiary — serving importers and exporters across multiple verticals with integrated cross-border services and a network of offices at major border crossings.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cole International industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Customs Brokerage & Freight Forwarding Services
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Import Customs Clearance (Entry Filing & Release) (TLACAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cross-Border E-commerce & De Minimis Clearance (DDP/DDU, Marketplace Compliance) (TLACAFAG), Global Trade & Customs / Trade Compliance (BPAHAHAG), Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG)
Keywords
Where Cole International is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Calgary
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Cole International business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Customs Brokerage Services: Fee-for-service customs brokerage for importing into Canada and the U.S., including vehicle imports, Non-Resident Importers (NRI), and Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) services.
- Freight Forwarding Services: International and domestic freight forwarding including ground shipping, ocean shipping, air shipping, and large-scale project logistics management.
- Trade Consulting Services: Customs & compliance consulting, free trade agreement guidance, and audit & verification support services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Customized service pricing based on specific logistics requirements |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Cole International product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cole International provides licensed customs brokerage services for clearing goods through Canadian and U.S. border agencies, including import/export clearance, HS code classification, duty calculation, and compliance support. It also offers international and domestic freight forwarding across ground, ocean, and air transportation, plus trade consulting covering customs and compliance advisory, free trade agreement optimization, and audit and verification support. The company is a full-service integrated logistics provider enabling seamless door-to-door cross-border movement of goods across North America.
Product overview
Cole International is a full-service logistics provider offering an integrated suite of three core services: Customs Brokerage, Freight Forwarding, and Trade Consulting. The company operates as a unified platform where these services are coordinated under one roof, enabling seamless door-to-door movement of goods across borders. Customs Brokerage handles licensed clearance through Canadian and U.S. authorities, including specialized offerings for Non-Resident Importers (NRI), Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA), and vehicle imports. Freight Forwarding covers ground, ocean, and air shipping along with large-scale project logistics. Trade Consulting provides compliance advisory, free trade agreement optimization, and audit support. Supporting these core services are the Cole Carriers mobile app for real-time shipment tracking, an online customer portal for self-service transaction management, and a suite of shipping tools including calculators and reference guides.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Customs Brokerage
Quantifiable outcome
- 48% team certification as Certified Canadian Customs Specialists (above industry standard)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Cole International
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cole International technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Cole International partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- CIFFA (Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association)minorProfessional association membership for freight forwarders, demonstrating industry standards compliance and professional credentials.
- NCBFAA (National Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association of America)minorIndustry association membership for customs brokers and freight forwarders in the United States.
- CSCB (Canadian Society of Customs Brokers)minorProfessional association for Canadian customs brokers supporting industry standards and professional development.
- FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations)minorInternational association membership for freight forwarders providing global industry standards and networking.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cole International competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Livingston International: The largest Canada-focused customs broker and trade compliance specialist, offering nearly identical services (customs brokerage, freight forwarding, trade consulting) with a comparable North American border-crossing footprint. Most direct head-to-head competitor to Cole International in the Canadian market.
Broad incumbents
- Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with global ocean, air, and customs brokerage capabilities. Overlaps with Cole on North American customs brokerage and freight forwarding but operates at vastly greater scale and across all continents.
- DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarding and customs clearance division of Deutsche Post DHL, offering air, ocean, road freight and customs services worldwide. Competes with Cole on Canada-U.S. cross-border flows and serves overlapping enterprise customer segments.
- C.H. Robinson Worldwide: Major North American freight broker and logistics provider with global forwarding capabilities. While primarily a truckload broker, C.H. Robinson's customs brokerage and global forwarding services compete with Cole's integrated offering, especially for enterprise shippers.
- Expeditors International: Large U.S.-headquartered global logistics company specializing in air and ocean freight forwarding with customs brokerage services. Competes with Cole on cross-border air/ocean freight and customs clearance for mid-to-large importers and exporters.
- UPS Supply Chain Solutions (Customs Brokerage): UPS's customs brokerage and freight forwarding arm serves large U.S. and Canadian importers with integrated parcel, freight, and customs services. Competes with Cole on cross-border small parcel, NRI programs, and enterprise import compliance.
- FedEx Logistics: Freight forwarding and customs brokerage arm of FedEx, offering air, ocean, ground, and customs services globally. Overlaps with Cole on cross-border e-commerce (FBA, NRI) and U.S./Canada customs clearance for enterprise shippers.
- Yusen Logistics: Global logistics company providing air and ocean freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and contract logistics. Has North American operations that compete with Cole on cross-border freight and customs services, particularly for Asia-Pacific trade lanes.
Regional players
- Purolator: Canada-focused parcel delivery and logistics company that also offers freight forwarding and customs services. While primarily a courier, Purolator's integrated Canada-U.S. offerings and brand recognition make it a relevant Canadian-market peer to Cole's brokerage and freight business.
Emerging players
- Flexport: Digital-native freight forwarder offering customs brokerage, ocean, and air forwarding through a technology platform. Represents the emerging digital-forwarding model that could pressure traditional brokers like Cole on price and self-service expectations for cross-border e-commerce flows.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cole International social profiles
Digital presenceCole International financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cole International leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Cole International subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Cole International funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cole International 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 Cole International
What does Cole International do?
Cole International provides licensed customs brokerage services for clearing goods through Canadian and U.S. border agencies, including import/export clearance, HS code classification, duty calculation, and compliance support. It also offers international and domestic freight forwarding across ground, ocean, and air transportation, plus trade consulting covering customs and compliance advisory, free trade agreement optimization, and audit and verification support. The company is a full-service integrated logistics provider enabling seamless door-to-door cross-border movement of goods across North America.
Is Cole International a public or private company?
Cole International is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Cole International founded?
Cole International was founded in 1958. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Cole International based?
Cole International is headquartered in Calgary, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Cole International make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Customs Brokerage Services are the primary driver. The others are freight Forwarding Services and trade Consulting Services.
Who are Cole International's main competitors?
Livingston International is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are Kuehne+Nagel, DHL Global Forwarding, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Expeditors International, UPS Supply Chain Solutions (Customs Brokerage), FedEx Logistics and Yusen Logistics. Purolator is listed as a regional player. Flexport is listed as an emerging player.
Does Cole International have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cole International.
What industry is Cole International in?
Cole International's product category is Customs Brokerage & Freight Forwarding Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACAFAA, Import Customs Clearance (Entry Filing & Release), with a secondary code of TLACAFAG, Cross-Border E-commerce & De Minimis Clearance (DDP/DDU, Marketplace Compliance). Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.