Flegenheimer International

What Flegenheimer International does

Flegenheimer International, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned customs brokerage firm headquartered in El Segundo, California, founded in 1977 by Bill Flegenheimer to provide 24/7 customs clearance services for perishable cargo entering the Port of Los Angeles. The firm specializes in customs entry filing, classification, and compliance verification across all US ports under a single point-of-contact service model, with deep domain expertise in FDA, USDA, Fish & Wildlife, and CBP regulatory requirements for time-sensitive cargo. Its product suite spans core customs brokerage, Customs Bonds (single transaction, continuous, and ISF), Cargo Insurance, C-TPAT compliance assistance, Personal Effects handling, Remote Location Filing, Sample Shipments, and Transportation Logistics coordination—organized around six specialty verticals: Dairy, Life Science, Live Cargo, Meat, Produce & Herbs, and Seafood. The proprietary technology stack includes an online shipment tracking system, Remote Location Filing capability for nationwide port coverage, and a 100% Quality Control process to minimize compliance penalties.

The firm operates on a fee-based professional services revenue model, with ancillary revenue from customs bonds (facilitated through surety partners rated 'A' Excellent) and cargo insurance (facilitated through insurance partners), structured as referral or pass-through arrangements. GTM is sales-led, relying on dedicated account representatives providing 24/7 single point-of-contact service to enterprise importers with complex regulatory needs. Marketing channels are limited to a company blog, email newsletters, and industry association memberships (National Fisheries Institute, California Fisheries and Seafood Institute, NCBFAA, LA Customs Brokers Association). The current leadership team consists of Rod Flegenheimer (President, licensed Customs Broker and CCS) and Lorraine Flegenheimer (CFO), following founder Bill Flegenheimer's death in June 2024. Headcount stands at approximately 30 employees, including four licensed Customs Brokers and four Certified Customs Specialists, with no external investors, parent company, or institutional ownership disclosed.

Name

Flegenheimer International

Legal name

Flegenheimer International, Inc.

Website

https://flegenheimer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Flegenheimer International is a family-owned US customs brokerage firm, founded in 1977 and headquartered in El Segundo, CA, specializing in 24/7 customs clearance for perishable cargo—seafood, meat, dairy, produce, live cargo, and life science products—across all US ports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Customs Brokerage Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Customs Consulting & Brokerage Outsourcing (Managed Brokerage, Brokerage Operations) (TLACAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Import Customs Clearance (Entry Filing & Release) (TLACAFAA), Regulated & Controlled Goods Clearance (FDA/USDA, Pharma, Chemicals, Dual-Use) (TLACAFAF), Customs & Regulatory Filing Documentation (Entry/Exit Summaries, Declarations, ENS/AMS/ACI) (TLACAHAE), Customs Brokerage & Trade Compliance Management (TLAIANAD), Perishables & Fresh Produce Forwarding (Food/Seafood/Floral) (TLACAJAA)

Keywords

• Customs brokerage services
• Perishable cargo clearance
• Import compliance
• Customs bonds
• Remote location filing

Headquarters

HQ city

El Segundo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Customs Brokerage Services: Fee-based customs brokerage services for clearing international cargo through CBP and government agencies. Services include customs entry filing, classification, and compliance verification across all US ports.
2. Customs Bonds: Writing single transaction, continuous, and ISF bonds through surety partners for importers requiring customs bond coverage
3. Cargo Insurance: Partnership with insurance providers to offer All Risk Cargo Insurance coverage to protect shipments in transit
4. Transportation Logistics Coordination: Arranging international and domestic transportation and storage through partner network

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Flegenheimer International is a licensed customs brokerage firm that clears international cargo through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other government agencies on behalf of importers. Its core offering is 24/7 customs entry filing and compliance, delivered through a single point-of-contact model with dedicated account representatives. The firm specializes in perishable commodities, providing tailored handling for dairy, seafood, meat, produce, live cargo, and life science imports, supplemented by related services such as customs bonds, cargo insurance, C-TPAT assistance, and transportation logistics coordination.

Product overview

Flegenheimer International is a customs brokerage firm offering a unified suite of services centered on facilitating international cargo clearance through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and related government agencies. The core offering is customs brokerage with specialized expertise in perishable commodities, supplemented by supporting services including Cargo Insurance, Customs Bonds, C-TPAT compliance assistance, Personal Effects handling, Remote Location Filing, Sample Shipments, and Transportation Logistics. The company serves importers of perishable goods across six specialty categories: Dairy, Life Science, Live Cargo, Meat, Produce & Herbs, and Seafood. Services are delivered through a single point-of-contact model with 24/7 availability, online tracking capabilities, and a 100% quality control process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Customs & Compliance 24-hour customs brokerage services at LAX, Long Beach, and all U.S. ports, with a 100% quality control process to ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, Fish & Wildlife, CBP, and other government agency regulations. Targets importers across all commodity types.
• Remote Location Filing Enables filing of customs entries at all U.S. air, ocean, and land ports through the customs Remote Location Filing program, with partner support for exception handling. Provides nationwide customs clearance with single point-of-contact service.
• Customs Bonds Provides Single Transaction, Continuous ($50,000 most common size), and ISF customs bonds through surety partners with A-rated financial standing and $60 million treasury limit. Protects CBP and government agencies against unpaid duties and penalties.
• Cargo Insurance All Risk Cargo Insurance coverage arranged through partner insurance providers, offering warehouse-to-warehouse protection, worldwide claims settling agent network, and customizable coverage plans.
• C-TPAT Compliance Assistance Assists clients with enrollment and ongoing compliance in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program, a voluntary CBP supply chain security initiative.
• Personal Effects Handles non-commercial importation of personal belongings, furniture, vehicles, and household goods for individuals relocating to the U.S., including full documentation preparation.
• Sample Shipments Manages logistics for small sample imports including customs clearance through government agencies, airport pickup, temperature-controlled storage, and multi-destination delivery coordination.
• Transportation Logistics Arranges international and domestic transportation and storage through partner network, including refrigerated/frozen transport, repacking, re-icing, and freezer storage at most U.S. ports.
• Perishables Specialty Services Specialized customs brokerage for perishable commodities with dedicated account representatives, 24/7 availability, automated tracking, and 100% quality control process. Over 30 years of expertise with FDA and USDA compliance for perishable imports.
• Dairy Import Services Handles dairy product imports including cheese varieties (Parmigiano Reggiano, Roquefort, etc.), butter, milk, yogurt, and whey protein with FDA and USDA compliance navigation.
• Life Science Import Services Manages high-regulation life science and healthcare product imports including biotech, biopharm, medical devices, finished drugs, and dietary supplements with cold storage coordination.
• Live Cargo Import Services Coordinates inspections and releases for live animal and organism imports including dogs, tropical fish, corals, lab mice, tunas, insects, reptiles, butterflies, lobsters, eels, and tissue cultures across CBP, Fish & Wildlife, USDA, CDC, and Public Health agencies.
• Meat Import Services Handles meat imports including beef, Wagyu, venison, lamb, pork, kangaroo, ostrich, alligator, cured meats, and game birds with CBP, USDA APHIS, FSIS, FDA, and Fish & Wildlife releases.
• Produce & Herbs Import Services Manages produce and herb imports including peppers, tomatoes, berries, tropical fruits, herbs, and greenhouse-grown products with USDA import permits and physical examination coordination.
• Seafood Import Services Handles all seafood imports including fish (wild and aquaculture), crustaceans, and mollusks in fresh, frozen, smoked, cooked, dried, breaded, and processed forms with FDA, Fish & Wildlife, USDA, and NOAA compliance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% file accuracy maintained in Air Freight Department with weekly performance measurement
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cold Storage/Handling FacilitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of cold storage partners including Able Freight, Centra Freight Services, Commodity Forwarders, Inc., and Jet Pro, Inc. for temperature-controlled cargo handling.
• Freezer Storage/Handling FacilitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Americold, Cal Cartage, LA Cold Storage, Preferred Freezer Services, and Showa Cold Storage for frozen product handling.
• Freight ForwardersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with freight forwarders including Able Freight Services for international and domestic transportation coordination.
• National Fisheries InstituteminorOthersIndustry membership organization for fisheries and seafood industry professionals.
• California Fisheries and Seafood InstituteminorOthersRegional industry association for California fisheries and seafood importers.
• National Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association (NCBFAA)minorOthersNational trade association for customs brokers and freight forwarders.
• LA Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders AssociationminorOthersLocal industry association. One of Flegenheimer's managers co-chairs the FDA committee.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Expeditors International: Global logistics provider with full customs brokerage capabilities across US ports and perishables verticals. Comparable product offering (customs entry filing, Remote Location Filing equivalent) but operates at vastly larger scale and breadth.
• C.H. Robinson Worldwide: One of the largest US 3PLs and customs brokers, offering customs brokerage, perishables logistics, and global forwarding as part of a much broader services portfolio. Represents the scale benchmark Flegenheimer competes against for enterprise accounts.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Global freight forwarder and customs broker with strong perishables and life-sciences verticals and Remote Location Filing capability across US ports. Comparable core service but with global infrastructure and institutional capital.
• Livingston International: North American customs broker and trade compliance specialist with deep expertise in regulated goods, including perishables and life sciences. Comparable core customs services, although larger and Canada-centric in origin.
• DHL Global Forwarding (Customs Brokerage): Provides customs brokerage across the US, including perishables and time-sensitive cargo clearance. Overlaps with Flegenheimer's import clearance, bond, and transportation services as part of a much larger integrated portfolio.

Direct peers

• A.N. Deringer: Privately held US customs broker and freight forwarder with deep specialization in perishables, seafood, and food-grade commodities across multiple US ports. Closely comparable to Flegenheimer in vertical focus, mid-market scale, and family/private ownership posture.
• Seko Logistics: Global 3PL and customs broker with strong perishables, seafood, and specialty food verticals across US ports. Highly comparable offering to Flegenheimer including entry filing, bonds, and transportation coordination.
• John S. Connor: US customs broker and 3PL with perishables expertise, headquartered in a major port and serving importers across commodities including seafood and food products. Comparable in scale, service mix, and private ownership to Flegenheimer.

Others

• Camanchaca Inc. (customer/adjacent): Noted here as an ecosystem participant — Camanchaca is a seafood producer/importer and named Flegenheimer customer. Included as a buyer-side reference illustrating the perishable importer customer base Flegenheimer serves.

Emerging players

• AFEX (Associated Foreign Exchange): US-based customs broker and trade services firm focused on importer-of-record services, customs clearance, and compliance for specialized goods. Comparable mid-market private competitor in regulated commodity clearance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/flegintl
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flegenheimer-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Flegenheimer International