What George Baker Group does

George Baker Group is a privately held, family-owned UK logistics and customs brokerage operator headquartered at the Port of Felixstowe. Founded in 1982 by George and Libby Baker as a customs brokerage, the Group has expanded into a full-service international logistics provider offering customs clearance, customs consultancy, air freight, sea freight, UK road transport, European road transport across 26 territories and 400+ trade lanes, 70,000 sqm of customs-authorised warehousing (the Felixstowe Mega Distribution Centre), container storage, supply chain management, and e-commerce fulfilment. The business operates through wholly owned subsidiaries (George Baker (Air & Sea) Ltd, George Baker Europe, George Baker Transport, FMDC) and serves industrial verticals including metals, packaging, plastics, furniture, automotive, and retail, as well as acting as a customs clearance partner to other freight forwarders.

Underlying technology is asset-heavy and operationally focused rather than software-led: a bespoke in-house Warehouse Management System with electronic goods-flow documentation, an External Temporary Storage Facility (ETSF) for customs-compliant storage, live GPS tracking across the 150-vehicle UK/EU fleet, and the ability to develop bespoke SCM management systems for individual customers. Compliance credentials (AEO since 2009, ISO 9001, BRC, Cyber Essentials Plus, FORS Bronze) and memberships (BIFA, UKWA, RHA, FIATA) form a core part of the value proposition for regulated industrial customers.

The business model is service-fee based across professional services (customs clearance, consultancy), transaction fees (freight bookings, transport), and managed services (warehousing, SCM). Pricing is quote-based and tailored, typically on multi-year contracts, with revenue distributed across direct enterprise sales, dedicated account management, and a channel of partner freight forwarders. The Group is led by second-generation family members (David Baker as Managing Director, Sharon Binns as Executive Director) with a tenured operational management team, and has been actively expanding its European footprint since 2024 with new offices in the Netherlands, Romania, Belgium, and Austria.

Name

George Baker Group

Legal name

George Baker (Shipping) Ltd

Website

https://georgebakershipping.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

George Baker Group is a family-owned UK customs brokerage and full-service logistics provider founded in 1982, headquartered at the Port of Felixstowe. It offers customs clearance, freight forwarding, warehousing, road transport, and supply chain management to industrial importers and exporters across the UK, Europe, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Logistics and Customs Brokerage Services

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)

akta.pro primary industry

Terminal Cargo Handling & Yard Operations (Receiving, Staging, Delivery) (TLAHALAB)

Keywords

• Customs clearance services
• International freight forwarding
• Warehousing and storage
• Road transport logistics
• Supply chain management

Headquarters

HQ city

Felixstowe

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Customs Clearance Services: Core revenue stream providing customs brokerage and clearance services. The company began as a customs brokerage in 1982 and remains the heartbeat of the business. Services include import/export declarations, commodity classification, origin determination, and customs compliance.
2. International Freight Management: Air freight, sea freight, and export freight services covering major international trade lanes globally. Revenue generated through freight booking and management fees.
3. European Road Transport: Road freight services covering 26 European territories with 400+ trade lane combinations. Operating own fleet of vehicles in UK/EU. Revenue from transport fees.
4. UK Road Transport: Domestic transport services covering major UK container terminals. Operating own fleet of 44-ton high specification vehicles with directly employed professional drivers.
5. Warehousing and Storage Services: 70,000 sq metres of customs authorized storage at Port of Felixstowe. Services include cross-docking, bonded warehousing, customs warehousing, long-term storage, and cold storage facilities.
6. Customs Consultancy: Advisory services including special procedure applications, customs compliance, training, AEO applications, and technical support for classification, origin, and valuation.
7. Container Storage: Off-dock container storage services in Felixstowe for loaded and empty containers with advanced security measures and 24/7 surveillance.
8. Supply Chain Management: Comprehensive SCM programs providing end-to-end management including overseas management, freight management, landside coordination, cost analysis, system development, and performance monitoring.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

George Baker Group provides customs clearance, customs consultancy, international freight forwarding (air, sea, and road), bonded and customs-authorised warehousing, container storage, and end-to-end supply chain management services. The company serves enterprise importers, exporters, manufacturers, and fellow freight forwarders with tailored logistics solutions from a 70,000 sq metre customs-authorised facility at the Port of Felixstowe. Services are delivered through an in-house fleet of 150 vehicles, 7 global offices, and AEO-accredited operations.

Product overview

George Baker Group is a logistics and customs brokerage company offering a comprehensive suite of integrated logistics services. The company was founded in 1982 and has evolved from a customs brokerage firm into a diversified logistics provider. The core product portfolio consists of Customs Clearance (the company's flagship service since inception), Customs Consultancy (advisory and training services), and Warehousing Services (70,000 sq metre customs-authorised facility). These are supported by Transport Services including UK Road Transport and European Road Transport (operating 150 vehicles across UK/EU), Air Freight, Sea Freight, Container Storage, International Freight (covering all major trade lanes), Supply Chain Management, and E-Commerce logistics solutions. The services are designed to work as an integrated 'one-stop-shop' offering, combining in-house customs expertise with global freight forwarding and domestic logistics capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Customs Clearance UK customs clearance specialists providing import and export formalities, commodity classification, origin determination, and customs compliance across all major UK ports including Felixstowe, Southampton, and London Gateway. AEO accredited since 2009 with CFSP authorisation for fast customs release.
• Customs Consultancy Advisory and training services covering special procedure applications, customs compliance, technical support for classification/origin/valuation, health assessments, and AEO applications. Designed for businesses needing customs expertise beyond transactional clearance.
• Warehousing Services 70,000 sq metres of customs-authorised storage facility at the Port of Felixstowe (FMDC) offering cross-docking, bonded warehousing, customs warehousing, long-term storage, secure management, and cold storage capabilities. BRC accredited for food safety and quality.
• UK Road Transport In-house transport division operating 44-ton high specification vehicles covering all major UK container ports. Services include container transport, curtain-sided transport, LCL pallet distribution, and specialised transport with live GPS tracking.
• European Road Transport Road freight services spanning 26 European territories covering over 400 trade lanes, including road freight, groupage/part loads, intermodal transport, and express vans. Operates own fleet of vehicles across UK and EU with network partners.
• Air Freight Air freight services with coverage of major international airports in the UK and a strong partner network overseas for competitive freight rates. Provides time-sensitive global air cargo solutions.
• Sea Freight International sea freight division providing tailored freight solutions with extensive network of overseas partners and direct connections with multiple shipping lines for FCL, LCL, and project cargo.
• Container Storage Specialist off-dock container storage in Felixstowe providing secure, flexible, and cost-effective solutions for loaded and empty containers with advanced security measures and 24/7 surveillance.
• International Freight Comprehensive international freight covering all major trade lanes including exports, key origins (China, Turkey, India, etc.), freight management, LCL shipments, and international parcel delivery across Asia-Pacific, Americas, and Middle East/Africa.
• Supply Chain Management Comprehensive supply chain management providing end-to-end control and visibility over shipments including overseas management, freight management, landside coordination, cost analysis, bespoke system development, and performance monitoring for specific SCM customers.
• E-Commerce Logistics Integrated logistics solutions for e-retailers offering just-in-time services, omnichannel and direct-to-consumer (D2C) models, and seamless B2C supply chain solutions for multi-national retailers and e-commerce companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• AEO accredited since 2009 demonstrating compliance and security standards
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• LogCoopminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2025Exhibiting as part of the joint LogCoop stand at Transport Logistic 2025 in Munich, Hall A5, Stand 314. LogCoop appears to be a cooperative of logistics companies combining presence at trade events.
• Global Network PartnerscoreOthersNetwork partners and agents based around the globe used for overseas management, collection of goods, and shipping coordination. With agents speaking local languages working directly with overseas suppliers.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Davies Turner: Long-established UK freight forwarder offering customs clearance, air/sea/road freight, and warehousing. Comparable to George Baker in service mix and UK-centric heritage, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Cardinal Global Logistics: UK-headquartered mid-market freight forwarder offering customs brokerage, international freight forwarding, and warehousing. Closely comparable to George Baker in size, vertical focus, and integrated service model.
• Ligentia: UK/European-headquartered supply chain solutions and freight forwarding provider with customs and warehousing capabilities. Comparable to George Baker in mid-market positioning, customs expertise, and supply chain integration.

Broad incumbents

• Rhenus Logistics: European-headquartered logistics provider with freight forwarding, customs, contract logistics, and warehousing operations. Comparable to George Baker in pan-European service mix, but with broader multimodal capabilities and greater scale.
• DB Schenker: Global logistics provider with European road freight, air/sea forwarding, and contract logistics. Comparable to George Baker in European road transport and freight forwarding, but at substantially larger scale (now part of DSV).
• Yusen Logistics: Global logistics provider with UK contract logistics, forwarding, and customs operations. Comparable to George Baker's integrated service offering, but operating across a much larger international network.
• DSV: Global freight forwarder with substantial UK presence following its Schenker acquisition. Comparable in customs, air/sea/road forwarding, and warehousing services to George Baker, but at far greater scale.
• Wincanton: UK-leading contract logistics and warehousing provider with transport capabilities. Comparable to George Baker's UK warehousing and transport operations, though focused primarily on contract logistics rather than customs-driven freight forwarding.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarder and logistics provider with extensive UK customs, air, and ocean operations. Comparable in customs and freight services to George Baker, but at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Global freight forwarder with significant UK presence offering customs, forwarding, contract logistics, and integrated supply chain solutions. Comparable in service breadth to George Baker, but operating at massive global scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/george-baker-shipping-ltd
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Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about George Baker Group