Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc.
Samuel Shapiro & Company is a 109-year-old, family-owned Baltimore-based customs brokerage and freight forwarder that provides trade compliance, tariff consulting, customs bonds, cargo insurance, and multimodal transportation to U.S. importers, exporters, e-commerce sellers, and multinational enterprises via its proprietary Shapiro 360° platform and supporting modules.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1915
- HeadquartersBaltimore, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. does
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. is a Baltimore-based, family-owned customs brokerage and international freight forwarder founded in 1915, providing import/export compliance and supply chain services to U.S. importers, exporters, e-commerce sellers, and multinational enterprises. Its core offerings span customs brokerage, tariff and regulatory compliance consulting, customs bonds, cargo insurance, and multimodal transportation (ocean FCL/LCL, airfreight, and domestic trucking/rail), supported by an in-house software portfolio anchored by the Shapiro 360° platform and complementary modules including the Classification Advisory Module (CAM), P.O. Management Plus (POM+), GlobalFlex™ agent network, and a centralized Booking Management system. The business employs 101–250 staff, approximately one-third of whom are licensed U.S. Customs brokers, and has held C-TPAT certification continuously since 2003.
The company's revenue model is built on transaction and professional service fees: freight forwarding generates transaction-based revenue from arranging ocean, air, and domestic transportation; customs brokerage and regulatory compliance consulting generate professional service fees for entry filing, HTS classification, tariff engineering, duty drawback, and PGA navigation; customs bond facilitation and cargo insurance placement produce affiliate/referral-style commissions. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is delivered through a consultative, sales-led motion with dedicated account management, supplemented by a content-driven top-of-funnel engine (Shap Blog, Shap Flash Alerts, webinars, white papers, and a dedicated tariff news portal). The firm claims a global operating footprint covering the U.S., China, Japan, and Europe, though outside-the-U.S. coverage is delivered through the GlobalFlex™ 3PL agent network rather than owned offices.
The technology architecture is a platform-plus-modules model: Shapiro 360° functions as the visibility and reporting hub, configurable per customer with exception tolerances and dashboards, while CAM, POM+, and Booking Management layer on top for classification, purchase order, and booking workflows. Shapiro 360° is described as built and maintained in-house, which is notable for a firm of this size and supports a stated switching cost around customer-specific configuration. Distribution is exclusively direct—no resellers or third-party channels are used—and customer acquisition is supported by extensive regulatory content marketing. The company is privately held, has remained family-owned across generations, has no disclosed outside funding, and shows no recorded M&A activity in the available data.
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc.
- Legal name
- Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc.
- Website
- https://shapiro.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1915
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Samuel Shapiro & Company is a 109-year-old, family-owned Baltimore-based customs brokerage and freight forwarder that provides trade compliance, tariff consulting, customs bonds, cargo insurance, and multimodal transportation to U.S. importers, exporters, e-commerce sellers, and multinational enterprises via its proprietary Shapiro 360° platform and supporting modules.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Customs Brokerage and Freight Forwarding
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Customs Consulting & Brokerage Outsourcing (Managed Brokerage, Brokerage Operations) (TLACAFAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA), Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF), Customs & Regulatory Filing Documentation (Entry/Exit Summaries, Declarations, ENS/AMS/ACI) (TLACAHAE), Export/Import Documentation Preparation (Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Shipper’s Letter of Instruction) (TLACAHAD)
Keywords
Where Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Baltimore
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Freight Forwarding Services: Arrangement and tracking of international transportation of goods including ocean FCL/LCL, airfreight, and domestic freight. Services include negotiating shipping fees, booking cargo space, and arranging multimodal transportation.
- Customs Brokerage: Regulatory clearance of shipments across international borders including customs entries, classifications, ISF filings, and PGA compliance. Revenue generated through service fees for customs documentation and clearance services.
- Regulatory Compliance Consulting: Advisory services including tariff consulting, classification reviews, duty drawback recovery, C-TPAT consulting, and admissibility appraisals. Professional consulting fees for helping importers navigate complex trade regulations.
- Customs Bonds: Assistance in securing various types of customs bonds including import bonds, ISF bonds, and FTZ operator bonds. The company facilitates bond procurement through third-party providers.
- Cargo Insurance: Insurance advisory and placement services to protect shipments against loss, damage, and General Average claims. Commission-based revenue from insurance placements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Customized service packages based on customer needs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Samuel Shapiro & Company is a customs broker and freight forwarder that arranges international transportation of goods (ocean FCL/LCL, airfreight, domestic freight) and provides regulatory clearance, tariff consulting, customs bond procurement, cargo insurance, and supply chain visibility through its proprietary Shapiro 360° platform. The firm serves importers and exporters with compliance expertise and licensed customs brokerage, supplemented by technology modules for booking management, vendor management, and product classification.
Product overview
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. operates as a logistics and supply chain management company founded in 1915, offering a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on the Shapiro 360° technology platform. The core offering comprises Customs Brokerage and Trade Compliance services (customs clearance, tariff consulting, regulatory compliance, customs bonds, cargo insurance, and the Classification Advisory Module), supplemented by Transportation services (ocean freight, airfreight, and domestic freight/rail trucking). The Shapiro 360° platform serves as the hub, integrating Freight Forwarding, Booking Management, GlobalFlex™ (multi-national 3PL network), and P.O. Management Plus (POM+) for end-to-end purchase order visibility. The company has been C-TPAT certified since 2003.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Shapiro 360°: Technology platform providing 24/7 shipment tracking with full supply chain visibility and real-time exceptions and alerts.
- GlobalFlex™
- P.O. Management Plus (POM+)
- Classification Advisory Module (CAM)
Products and services
- Shapiro 360°
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced customs penalties through reasonable care compliance
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature5 records
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Avalon Risk ManagementminorThird-party provider of Customs Bond Application and Indemnity forms. Avalon Risk Management provides the bond application forms used when customers apply for customs bonds through Shapiro.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Seko Logistics: Mid-sized global freight forwarder with strong e-commerce, FBA, and ocean-air forwarding practices. Comparable scale, customer types, and technology-enabled forwarding proposition to Shapiro.
- Livingston International: North America's largest pure-play customs broker and freight forwarder, headquartered in Canada with significant U.S. operations. Closely mirrors Shapiro's customs-compliance-led, asset-light model and customer mix of mid-market and enterprise importers.
- Crane Worldwide Logistics: Mid-sized global freight forwarder with customs brokerage and supply-chain services. Comparable in size and offering mix to Shapiro, with similar enterprise and mid-market customer focus.
Broad incumbents
- C.H. Robinson: One of the largest North American freight brokers and 3PLs with Global Forwarding division covering ocean, air, and customs brokerage. Competes for the same enterprise shippers, but with substantially greater scale and service breadth.
- DHL Global Forwarding: Division of Deutsche Post DHL Group covering ocean, air, customs, and supply-chain services. Competes for multinational shipper RFPs, with customs brokerage as a key capability.
- UPS Supply Chain Solutions: Logistics arm of UPS providing freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and contract logistics. A scaled incumbent that competes with Shapiro on enterprise customs and forwarding programs.
- Expeditors International: Global asset-light freight forwarder with customs brokerage capabilities across all major modes. A benchmark incumbent whose technology investments and global network set the bar for mid-sized specialists like Shapiro.
- Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest sea- and air-freight forwarders with integrated customs and contract logistics. Competes with Shapiro for enterprise customs and forwarding business at much larger scale.
- FedEx Logistics (formerly FedEx Trade Networks): Asset-owning incumbent offering international air/ocean forwarding, customs brokerage, and trade services. Overlaps with Shapiro on brokerage and forwarding for U.S. importers.
Emerging players
- Flexport: Digital-first freight forwarder automating ocean, air, and customs workflows with a tech platform approach. Represents the technology-led competitive threat to traditional mid-sized brokers like Shapiro on standard freight flows.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceSamuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. 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 Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc.
What does Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. do?
Samuel Shapiro & Company is a customs broker and freight forwarder that arranges international transportation of goods (ocean FCL/LCL, airfreight, domestic freight) and provides regulatory clearance, tariff consulting, customs bond procurement, cargo insurance, and supply chain visibility through its proprietary Shapiro 360° platform. The firm serves importers and exporters with compliance expertise and licensed customs brokerage, supplemented by technology modules for booking management, vendor management, and product classification.
Is Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. a public or private company?
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. founded?
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. was founded in 1915. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. based?
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. is headquartered in Baltimore, United States, in the North America region.
How does Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Freight Forwarding Services are the primary driver. The others are customs Brokerage, regulatory Compliance Consulting, customs Bonds and cargo Insurance.
Who are Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Seko Logistics, Livingston International and Crane Worldwide Logistics. Broad incumbents are C.H. Robinson, DHL Global Forwarding, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, Expeditors International, Kuehne+Nagel and FedEx Logistics (formerly FedEx Trade Networks). Flexport is listed as an emerging player.
Does Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc..
What industry is Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc. in?
Samuel Shapiro & Company, Inc.'s product category is Customs Brokerage and Freight Forwarding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACAFAI, Customs Consulting & Brokerage Outsourcing (Managed Brokerage, Brokerage Operations), with a secondary code of TLACABAG, Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance). Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.