What Commodity Centre does

Commodity Centre (Group) Ltd is a UK-headquartered, founder-led third-party logistics provider specialising in the handling, storage, and forwarding of food commodities and metals. Founded in 1992, the company operates a multi-site network spanning the UK (Great Braxted, Heybridge, Manningtree, Barking, Mendlesham), Belgium (Port of Antwerp), the Netherlands (Amsterdam), and Malaysia (Port Klang Free Zone), with a UK warehousing footprint of more than 70,000 square metres and an annual throughput of more than 500,000 tonnes of cargo. The service portfolio covers warehousing (rack, bulk, floor, temperature-controlled, and bonded storage), handling for loose bulk, FIBC, jute, and palletised goods, freight forwarding and European transport, value-added services (sampling, testing, fumigation, pre-cleaning, pre-blending, and re-palletising), and e-commerce fulfilment with integrations to major platforms and carriers.

The company's competitive position rests on a stack of regulatory licences and certifications that are difficult to replicate: ICE (coffee and cocoa), NYSE (arabica coffee), LME (metals via the Erus Metals division), BRCGS AA+ highest grade, AEO, FSSC 22000, Organic (OF&G and TÜV NORD), Rainforest Alliance, and FCA. Service delivery is supported by a proprietary Warehouse Management System providing real-time inventory visibility, lot traceability, volume and location tracking, automated reporting, and forecasting, accessible via desktop and mobile. The technology backbone is principally operational/transactional rather than AI-driven.

Go-to-market is enterprise B2B, with direct field sales, account management, and industry-event participation targeting importers, manufacturers, traders, and distributors of soft commodities, metals, and finished goods. Revenue is generated through quote-based storage and handling fees, freight forwarding margin, and value-added service charges, with multi-year, multi-decade relationships among named clients (Volcafe, Louis Dreyfus, Cargill, Mondelez, Lindt, Costa Coffee, Coca-Cola, ASDA, Aldi, Waitrose, Community Foods, ofi, Volcafe, Falcon Coffees). The September 2025 acquisition of Goossens Transport BV, the November 2025 launch of an expanded European Transport division, and the establishment of a nutraceutical / supplement warehousing vertical in 2025-2026 indicate active scaling of both service surface and geographic reach. The company is privately held, founder-led by Alec Gunn, with no disclosed external institutional ownership.

Name

Commodity Centre

Legal name

Commodity Centre (Group) Ltd

Website

https://commoditycentre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Commodity Centre is a UK-founded, multi-site third-party logistics provider specialising in handling, storage, and forwarding of food commodities and metals for enterprise importers, manufacturers, traders, and retailers across the UK, Europe, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commodity Warehousing & Logistics

NAICS

General Warehousing and Storage (493110), Warehousing and Storage (493), Couriers and Express Delivery Services (492110)

SIC

Public Warehousing & Storage (4220), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Wholesale-Metals & Minerals (No Petroleum) (5050)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk Ingredient Logistics, Storage & Transloading (Food Commodities) (AFAIAKAM)

Keywords

• Food commodity warehousing
• Soft commodity logistics
• Freight forwarding services
• Warehouse management systems
• Metal commodity storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Great Braxted

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Warehousing & Storage Services: Core revenue stream from providing food-grade warehousing facilities across UK, Europe, and Asia. Services include ambient pallet storage, bulk bag storage (FIBC), temperature-controlled storage, rack storage, and bonded storage. Revenue generated through storage capacity utilisation and handling fees.
2. Freight Forwarding & Logistics: End-to-end logistics services including freight forwarding, European transport, container haulage, and distribution. Revenue from transportation services, customs documentation, and port handling.
3. Value-Added Services: Additional services including sampling, inspection, testing, fumigation, pre-cleaning, pre-blending, re-palletising, e-commerce fulfilment, and pick & pack operations. Revenue generated as add-on services to core warehousing.
4. Handling Services: Cargo handling services for loose bulk, bulk bags, jute bags, and palletised goods with specialised equipment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Commodity Centre provides specialised warehousing, handling, freight forwarding, European transport, and value-added services (sampling, testing, fumigation, pre-cleaning, pre-blending, re-palletising, e-commerce fulfilment) for food commodities such as coffee, cocoa, sugar, dried fruits, nuts, grains and finished goods, plus metals via the Erus Metals division. The company operates across 70,000+ square metres of BRC AA+ accredited facilities in the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and Malaysia, managing over 500,000 tonnes of cargo annually on behalf of enterprise importers, manufacturers, traders and distributors. Service delivery is underpinned by a proprietary Warehouse Management System offering real-time inventory visibility, lot traceability and forecasting.

Product overview

Commodity Centre is a logistics and warehousing company offering a comprehensive suite of services for food commodities and metals. The core service portfolio includes warehousing and storage (with rack, bulk, floor, temperature-controlled and bonded options), handling, logistics and forwarding, European transport, and value-added services such as e-commerce fulfilment, sampling, testing, fumigation, pre-cleaning and re-palletising. The company manages over half a million tonnes of cargo annually across strategically located facilities in the UK, Europe and Asia. Products handled include coffee (green and speciality), cocoa, sugar, dried fruits, nuts and seeds, flour/pulses/grains, organic foods, finished goods, metals (via Erus Metals division), rice, salt, and liquid food commodities. Recent additions include nutraceutical/vitamin/supplement fulfilment services and expanded eCommerce capabilities. The September 2025 acquisition of Goossens Transport BV strengthened their container haulage network across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Erus Metals: Metals division handling metal commodities storage and logistics

Products and services

• Warehousing & Storage Strategic warehouse facilities across UK, Europe and Asia offering rack, bulk, floor, temperature-controlled and bonded storage for food commodities and metals. BRC AA+ accredited with proprietary WMS providing real-time visibility.
• Handling Professional handling services for loose bulk, bulk bags (FIBC), jute bags and palletised goods with specialized equipment for food commodities and metals.
• Logistics & Forwarding Freight forwarding services managing transportation across the supply chain with integrated logistics solutions for food commodities and metals.
• European Transport Dedicated European transport services providing flexible and efficient logistics support across Europe for enterprise clients.
• Value Added Services Comprehensive services including e-commerce, sampling, testing, pre-cleaning, pre-blending, fumigation, customs documentation and port health for commodity clients.
• eCommerce Fulfilment End-to-end eCommerce fulfillment services including pick & pack, warehousing, and order processing for online retailers and nutraceutical brands.
• Pallet Distribution Pallet distribution services for efficient handling and delivery of palletised goods across UK and Europe.
• Transformation Processing and transformation services for commodities including pre-cleaning, pre-blending and re-palletising to meet client specifications.
• Finished Goods Storage BRC AA+ accredited warehouse storage for retail-ready finished products with inventory management and real-time visibility for retailers and manufacturers.
• Nutraceutical Warehousing Specialized warehousing for nutraceutical products including supplements and health ingredients such as collagen, creatine, herbal extracts, probiotics, vitamins, minerals and protein powders.
• Metals Storage (Erus Metals) Metal storage and logistics through Erus Metals division, including LME-licensed storage facilities and metal commodity logistics at the Port Klang Free Zone.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000+ tonnes of cargo managed annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Goossens Transport BVcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 September 2025Acquisition completed September 2025, expanding Commodity Centre Belgium's container haulage operations in the Port of Antwerp. Goossens Transport BV is an established container transport provider with modern fleet and experienced workforce. The acquisition strengthens end-to-end service capabilities with expanded pan-European coverage.
• Green RecyclingminorOthers · 22 September 2025UK recycling partner that conducted waste audit at Commodity Centre's UK warehousing sites. Audit confirmed compliance with recycling regulations and recognised strong recycling performance, resulting in reduced waste disposal rates.
• European Cocoa Association (ECA)minorOthersIndustry association membership. CEO Alec Gunn appointed to ECA Board of Directors in May 2026. Active participation in ECA forums and events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Imperial Logistics: Africa-headquartered logistics provider with commodity and freight forwarding operations globally. Comparable to Commodity Centre on freight forwarding, commodity warehousing, and serving global commodity traders as customers.
• Euroports: European port-centric warehousing and logistics operator handling bulk commodities and industrial cargo across multiple European ports. Direct comparable on port-adjacent commodity storage model and multi-port European network.
• C. Steinweg: Global warehousing and logistics specialist for metals, minerals, and commodities, with port-adjacent facilities worldwide. Closest direct comparable to Commodity Centre, particularly the Erus Metals division, given LME licensing and similar commodity trader customer base.
• Rhenus Logistics: European freight forwarding, warehousing, and contract logistics provider with extensive port operations. Direct competitor in commodity storage and freight forwarding across UK/Europe, including port-centric operations in Antwerp and Felixstowe regions.
• Katoen Natie: Belgian-headquartered bulk commodity warehousing and logistics specialist with port-based operations across Europe and globally. Highly comparable to Commodity Centre on food/industrial commodity handling, port-adjacent infrastructure, and integrated logistics model.
• Broekman Logistics: Dutch-based logistics provider specialising in warehousing, distribution, and freight forwarding for commodities and industrial goods. Comparable to Commodity Centre on Netherlands-based port-adjacent operations, freight forwarding, and food/non-food commodity handling.

Broad incumbents

• DHL Supply Chain: Global contract logistics division of Deutsche Post DHL with extensive warehousing and supply chain operations. Broader incumbent that competes with Commodity Centre on enterprise contract warehousing, particularly for global food and beverage manufacturers.
• XPO Logistics: Large global logistics provider with warehousing, freight forwarding, and contract logistics. Overlaps with Commodity Centre in UK/European warehousing and freight forwarding but operates across broader industries at significantly greater scale.

Regional players

• Wincanton: UK-focused contract logistics and warehousing provider. Comparable on UK warehousing operations and e-commerce fulfilment though less specialised in commodity warehousing than Commodity Centre.

Emerging players

• Alfred H. Knight: Independent commodity inspection, analysis, and logistics services provider. Comparable to Commodity Centre's value-added services (sampling, testing, inspection) for metals and food commodities, with partial overlap in trader customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/commodity-centre-global-forwarding

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Commodity Centre