LEMAN
LEMAN A/S is a privately held Danish freight forwarder and contract logistics provider operating across 18 countries, offering road, air, sea, and rail transport plus warehousing and pharma cold-chain solutions to enterprise customers in pharma, fashion, lifestyle, and FMCG.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1900
- HeadquartersSturtevant, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What LEMAN does
LEMAN A/S is a privately held Danish freight forwarding and contract logistics company founded in Copenhagen in 1900, now headquartered in Greve, Denmark, operating across 18 countries in Scandinavia, Continental Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The company offers a full-stack logistics platform covering road, air, sea, and rail transport; contract warehousing; customs brokerage; cargo insurance; cross-border VAT services; and compliance labelling, with industry-verticalized solutions for Pharma & Healthcare (GDP-compliant cold chain with SkyCell 1500X and Superscanner integration), Fashion & Retail, Lifestyle, and FMCG customers. Its digital layer comprises the yourLEMAN customer portal, an Express Portal for 24/7 booking, real-time Track & Trace, EDI connectivity, and API access, augmented by an AI-powered booking automation system that has processed over 10,000 bookings.
The company's go-to-market is enterprise-led, combining direct field sales, inside sales through 18 country offices, an online quote system, and channel partnerships through the WCA network and 80+ European road-freight partners that enable next-day delivery. Revenue is generated transactionally on freight forwarding (per-shipment fees) and via managed services for warehousing and contract logistics, with professional service fees for customs, insurance, and the GoodShipping carbon-insetting program. Pricing is quote-based rather than published. LEMAN differentiates on 125 years of operating history, Nordic heritage, personal account management, sustainability credentials (SBTi commitment, ECO-Lighthouse-certified Vestby warehouse, free CO2e emissions reporting), and an in-house network that has been actively expanded via acquisitions in Germany and Poland and greenfield entries into Greenland, Mexico, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
Operationally, the company is asset-light in primary transport modes (relying on road network partners) but owns significant warehouse infrastructure in Denmark (Taulov), Norway (Vestby), and the United States (Chicago, Sturtevant). It is privately held with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or public-market backing, and is led by CEO René Bach Larsen (appointed October 2024) following a broader C-suite refresh in 2024-2026.
LEMAN firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LEMAN
- Legal name
- LEMAN A/S
- Website
- https://leman.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1900
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- LEMAN A/S is a privately held Danish freight forwarder and contract logistics provider operating across 18 countries, offering road, air, sea, and rail transport plus warehousing and pharma cold-chain solutions to enterprise customers in pharma, fashion, lifestyle, and FMCG.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where LEMAN is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sturtevant
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices16 records
Markets served
LEMAN 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: Core revenue stream from freight forwarding services including road, air, sea, and rail transport. Revenue generated through contract-based agreements and transaction-based pricing for individual shipments.
- Warehousing and Contract Logistics: Warehouse storage, contract logistics, pick & pack, repack, and repair services. Revenue generated through space rental and service fees.
- Value-Added Services: Customs brokerage, cargo insurance, cross-border VAT services, and compliance labelling. Revenue from service fees and commissions.
- Express Solutions: Express transport and next-day delivery services for time-sensitive shipments. Premium pricing for expedited delivery.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Get a Quote - Custom Pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
LEMAN product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LEMAN is a global logistics and freight forwarding company providing international transportation, warehousing, and end-to-end supply chain solutions. Founded in 1900 in Copenhagen, Denmark, the company operates digital platforms including the yourLEMAN portal and AI-assisted booking tools to serve enterprise customers across the pharma, fashion, lifestyle, and FMCG sectors.
Product overview
LEMAN is a global logistics and freight forwarding company offering a comprehensive suite of transport and logistics services. The company operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture with digital portals (yourLEMAN, Express Portal, Track & Trace), multiple transport modes (Road, Air, Sea, Rail, Express), industry-specific solutions (Pharma Healthcare, Fashion & Retail, Lifestyle), and value-added services (warehousing, customs brokerage, cargo insurance, carbon insetting). Core digital platforms include the customer portal yourLEMAN for booking and shipment management, the Express Portal for 24/7 express booking, EDI and API connectivity options, and real-time Track & Trace. Transport solutions span LEMAN Next Day (European day-definite delivery), LEMAN Economy (cost-optimized LTL), dedicated road transport, air freight, sea freight (including new India-Europe LCL), and rail transport. Specialized offerings include pharma and healthcare cold chain logistics, project transport for oversized cargo, eco solutions with low-emission transport, and carbon insetting via the GoodShipping partnership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Transportation Services International and domestic transportation of goods by air, sea, and road for enterprise customers across multiple industries.
- Warehousing Services Storage and warehousing solutions supporting customer supply chain operations across LEMAN's global network.
- Freight Forwarding End-to-end freight forwarding services coordinating multi-modal shipment movement across international borders for enterprise customers.
- yourLEMAN Digital Platform Online portal providing customers self-service access to LEMAN's logistics services, including shipment booking and tracking.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced CO₂e footprint in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use LEMAN
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
LEMAN technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability3 records
Feature6 records
LEMAN partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WCA (World Cargo Alliance)coreLEMAN participates in WCA network for global freight forwarding. Participation at WCA conferences in Singapore and Dubai for partnership development.
- SogedimminorStrategic cooperation with Sogedim, a logistics and transport company. Partnership aims to strengthen strategic collaboration in logistics services.
- LEMAN Norway AEO CertificationcoreAEO (Authorised Economic Operator) certification obtained by LEMAN Norway, strengthening customs and compliance capabilities.
- GoodShippingcorePartnership for sustainable shipping through carbon insetting. LEMAN facilitates fuel switches with GoodShipping, replacing fossil fuels with sustainable biofuels to reduce CO₂ emissions across operations. This delivers real and measurable emission reductions for customers.
- AelercorePartnership for Smart Containers with Aeler Technologies. End-to-end monitoring, planning and visibility with GPS and AIS data. Smart containers offer better cargo protection, natural insulation, and up to 11% more volume compared to reefers.
- European Road Network Partnerscore80+ network partners across Europe enabling LEMAN Next Day service with daily departures and multiple gateways. Core to European road freight operations.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves22 records
Expansion highlights6 records
LEMAN competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- DHL Global Forwarding: Division of Deutsche Post DHL offering air freight, ocean freight, road/rail transport, and customs services worldwide. Operates in the same multi-mode freight forwarding space as LEMAN with substantial overlap in pharma, fashion, and industrial logistics, but at materially greater scale and global network density.
- CEVA Logistics: French-headquartered global logistics provider owned by CMA CGM, offering freight forwarding, contract logistics, and ground transportation. Competes with LEMAN across forwarding and warehousing; larger scale and stronger integration with ocean carrier parent (CMA CGM).
- DB Schenker: German-headquartered global logistics provider spanning land transport, air and ocean freight, contract logistics, and supply chain management. Overlaps with LEMAN in European road freight forwarding, contract logistics, and tailored industry solutions for retail and industrial customers; substantially larger.
- DSV A/S: Denmark-headquartered global freight forwarder and logistics provider with road, air, sea, and contract logistics across 80+ countries. Closest geographic and operational peer to LEMAN — same Danish origin, same multi-mode service mix, similar pharma/fashion vertical orientation, but materially larger scale (DSV is among the world's largest forwarders).
- Kuehne+Nagel: Swiss-headquartered global freight forwarder with leading positions in sea freight, air freight, contract logistics, and integrated logistics. Directly competes with LEMAN across road/air/sea forwarding and contract logistics; significantly larger and a frequent panel forwarder for enterprise pharma and retail clients.
- Bolloré Logistics: French-headquartered global freight forwarder (Bolloré Transport & Logistics division) offering multimodal transport, contract logistics, and customs services. Competes with LEMAN in international freight forwarding and pharma/aerospace/fashion verticals; larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
Direct peers
- Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German-headquartered global forwarder operating across air, sea, road, rail, and contract logistics with offices in 60+ countries. Directly competes with LEMAN in international freight forwarding, with particular overlap in pharma/healthcare and lifestyle/retail verticals; family-owned structure analogous to LEMAN.
- Dachser: German-based logistics company with strong European road freight and contract logistics network, plus air and sea forwarding. Closely comparable to LEMAN's LEMAN Next Day and dedicated road transport offerings in Europe; family-owned until recent ownership transition, similar mid-market positioning prior to scale-up.
- Expeditors International: U.S.-headquartered asset-light global logistics company focused on air and ocean freight forwarding plus customs brokerage. Closely mirrors LEMAN's forwarder model (transaction-based, no owned aircraft/vessels), with similar emphasis on technology-enabled service and industry-specific solutions.
Regional players
- Kerry Logistics Network: Asia-headquartered (Hong Kong) global logistics provider with strong Asia-Pacific presence across freight forwarding, warehousing, and integrated logistics. Comparable to LEMAN's recent Asia expansion (Vietnam, Taiwan, India-to-Northern-Europe LCL); reflects regional player overlap rather than direct same-market competition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
LEMAN social profiles
Digital presenceLEMAN compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
LEMAN financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LEMAN leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
LEMAN subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
LEMAN funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LEMAN 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 LEMAN
What does LEMAN do?
LEMAN is a global logistics and freight forwarding company providing international transportation, warehousing, and end-to-end supply chain solutions. Founded in 1900 in Copenhagen, Denmark, the company operates digital platforms including the yourLEMAN portal and AI-assisted booking tools to serve enterprise customers across the pharma, fashion, lifestyle, and FMCG sectors.
Is LEMAN a public or private company?
LEMAN is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was LEMAN founded?
LEMAN was founded in 1900. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is LEMAN based?
LEMAN is headquartered in Sturtevant, United States, in the North America region.
How does LEMAN make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Freight Forwarding Services are the primary driver. The others are warehousing and Contract Logistics, value-Added Services and express Solutions.
Who are LEMAN's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are DHL Global Forwarding, CEVA Logistics, DB Schenker, DSV A/S, Kuehne+Nagel and Bolloré Logistics. Direct peers are Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, Dachser and Expeditors International. Kerry Logistics Network is listed as a regional player.
Does LEMAN have an API?
Yes. LEMAN offers API connectivity as part of its digital solutions. The Connectivity section of the website mentions API as one of the digital solutions available, alongside yourLEMAN portal, Express Portal, and EDI. No additional details on API type (REST/GraphQL), authentication method, rate limits, versioning, or sandbox availability are provided in the available source material.