What Carisam does

Carisam (legal name: Carisam-Samuel Meisel, Inc.) is a U.S.-based, privately held duty-free and beverage distribution company founded in 1920 as Samuel Meisel & Company in Baltimore, Maryland, and now headquartered in Doral, Florida. The company distributes premium beverages (spirits, wine, beer, water, soda), tobacco products, confectionery, and luxury goods (cosmetics, fragrances, watches, accessories) through distribution agreements with major global brand owners including Diageo, Coca-Cola, Heineken, Altria, and AB InBev. Its core technology stack is not publicly disclosed; the business operates as a physical distribution and logistics enterprise rather than a software platform.

Carisam serves five primary customer verticals: cruise lines (nearly 34 operators running 212 ships), cargo ships, diplomatic missions (via the DDFS Diplomatic Duty Free Shop retail boutique on Washington DC's Embassy Row), U.S. military installations, and international travel retail / duty-free operators across over 30 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its operations reach 71 North American ports and 84 international ports across Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, and New Zealand, with distribution supported by warehouses in Doral, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. The company manages over 7,000 SKUs and emphasizes just-in-time inventory delivery, bonded goods management, beer line maintenance, and industry-leading fill rates as differentiated service capabilities.

The business generates revenue primarily through product distribution (transaction-fee model) and ancillary storage and logistics services, sold via long-term enterprise contracts negotiated through direct field-sales relationships. Carisam holds CTPAT certification, T-Certification, and maintains AML, FCPA, and ABAC compliance programs, which are required to handle bonded duty-free goods and serve U.S. military and diplomatic customers. The company completed a formal ESG materiality assessment in 2023. No public filings, venture capital investment, or M&A activity are disclosed; the company operates with 101–250 employees across four U.S. locations and remains privately owned since its 1920 founding.

Name

Carisam

Legal name

Carisam-Samuel Meisel, Inc.

Website

https://carisam.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Carisam is a privately held duty-free distributor of premium beverages, tobacco, and luxury goods serving cruise lines, cargo ships, diplomatic missions, military, and travel retail across 155 ports in over 30 countries from U.S. facilities in Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Washington DC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248), Warehousing and Storage (4931)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Public Warehousing & Storage (4220), Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086)

akta.pro primary industry

Cruise Ship Duty-Free Alcohol & Tobacco Retail (CRANAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Airport Duty-Free Alcohol & Tobacco Stores (CRANAIAA), Alcohol & Tobacco Duty-Free / Travel Retail Supply (Wholesale) (CRAOAIAI), Beverage Import/Export & Cross-Border Wholesale (AFAIAGAL), DTC Beverage Delivery (Alcoholic & Non-Alcoholic) (AFAIANAK), Bar & Beverage Service Supplies Wholesale (AFAIALAG)

Keywords

• Duty-free distribution
• Cruise line supply
• Maritime beverage distribution
• Tobacco wholesale
• Diplomatic duty-free retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Doral

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

Revenue model

1. Product Distribution: Distribution of beverages (spirits, wine, beer, water, soda), tobacco products, and luxury items to cruise lines, cargo ships, diplomatic missions, military, and duty-free operators.
2. Storage and Logistics Services: State-of-the-art storage facilities and logistics services including warehousing, inventory management, transportation, distribution, bonded goods management, and beer line maintenance for cruise industry and cargo operators.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Carisam distributes premium beverages (spirits, wine, beer, water, soda), tobacco products, and luxury goods to cruise lines, cargo ships, diplomatic missions, military, and duty-free operators across 71 North American ports and 84 international ports. The company also operates storage, warehousing, bonded goods management, and beer line maintenance services for maritime and travel retail customers, and runs the DDFS retail boutique in Washington DC serving diplomats and foreign dignitaries.

Product overview

Carisam (Carisam-Samuel Meisel) is a duty-free and beverage distributor serving maritime, diplomatic, and travel retail industries. The company offers a portfolio of products including Beer, Spirits, Wines, Water & Soda, Tobacco, Luxury Items, and Confectionary sourced from brand partners such as Diageo, Coca-Cola, Heineken, Altria, and ABInBev. Carisam provides distribution and logistics services to cruise lines, cargo ships, diplomatic missions, military, and duty-free operators. The company also operates DDFS, a luxury retail boutique in Washington DC for diplomats. With over 100 years of history originating as a ship chandler in Baltimore, the company serves approximately 34 cruise lines operating 212 ships across 71 North American ports and 84 international ports worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DDFS: Luxury boutique operating in Washington DC's Embassy Row, serving diplomats and foreign dignitaries with cosmetics, fragrances, jewelry, watches, fashion accessories, and confectionery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 34 cruise lines served with 212 ships operating from 71 North American ports
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Proximo SpiritsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Carisam attended Proximo Spirits' Tequila Town activation in Hialeah, Florida, an immersive agave and tequila cultural experience bringing together spirits industry professionals and travel retail partners for educational and brand immersion activities. The event showcased Proximo's tequila portfolio.
• DiageocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDiageo is a global leader in premium drinks with over 200 brands and sales in nearly 180 countries. Carisam distributes Diageo's portfolio including spirits, wines, and other beverages to maritime and duty-free markets.
• Coca-ColacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCoca-Cola is committed to offering people more of the drinks they want across a range of categories. Carisam distributes Coca-Cola beverages including water and soda products.
• HeinekencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHeineken is the world's leading premium lager, served in 192 countries. Carisam distributes Heineken beer products to maritime and duty-free markets.
• AltriacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAltria's tobacco companies are the undisputed market leaders in the U.S. tobacco industry. Carisam distributes Altria's tobacco products.
• AB InBevcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAB InBev is the world's leading brewer, committed to building a future that everyone can celebrate. Carisam distributes AB InBev's beer products.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Garrets International: Global ship-supply and logistics provider serving cruise, cargo, and offshore operators with provisions, cabin stores, and bonded goods. Operates similar multi-port distribution and is a directly comparable maritime provisioning peer.
• Wrist Ship Supply: One of the world's largest ship-chandler and maritime provisioning companies, supplying provisions, bonded goods, and consumables to cruise lines, cargo ships, and offshore vessels — directly overlapping with Carisam's cruise-line provisioning and bonded-goods offering.
• DFS Group: World-leading luxury travel-retail operator (part of LVMH) operating duty-free stores at airports and on cruise ships. Competes with Carisam's duty-free distribution and onboard luxury provisioning.

Broad incumbents

• Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits: The largest US alcoholic-beverage wholesaler distributing wine, spirits, and beer across all 50 states. Operates at much greater scale than Carisam but competes for the same supplier relationships and on-premise/cruise accounts.
• Avolta (formerly Dufry): Global travel-retail giant operating duty-free shops across airports, cruise lines, seaports, and diplomatic channels. A much larger incumbent overlapping with Carisam in cruise ship duty-free and travel-retail distribution.
• Lagardère Travel Retail: Global travel-retail operator with duty-free, food service, and convenience operations in airports and other travel hubs. Overlaps with Carisam in travel-retail distribution and luxury duty-free.
• Gebr. Heinemann: One of the world's largest travel-retail distributors operating duty-free shops and supplying airports, airlines, and border shops. A broad incumbent competing for global travel-retail and duty-free alcohol/tobacco distribution.
• Breakthru Beverage Group: North American alcoholic-beverage wholesaler distributing premium beer, wine, and spirits across the US and Canada. Comparable as a broad-line alcohol distributor with overlapping supplier and on-premise customer relationships.
• Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC): Major US beer, wine, and spirits wholesaler serving on-premise and off-premise accounts nationwide. Comparable as a broad-line alcohol distributor competing for the same supplier and customer ecosystem as Carisam.

Others

• Inchcape Shipping Services: Global port-services and ship-agency provider offering port call coordination, crew change, and maritime logistics. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — comparable as an ecosystem participant serving the same cruise and cargo customers at port.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Carisam