Wine and Spirits Shippers Association

Name

Wine and Spirits Shippers Association

Legal name

Wine and Spirits Shippers Association Inc.

Website

https://wssa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alcohol Beverage Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Alcohol & Beverage-Grade Bulk Liquid Transport (Spirits/Wine/Beer Base) (TLADALAH), LCL (Less-than-Container Load) Consolidation/Deconsolidation (TLACABAB), Trade Compliance & Ocean Regulatory Services (Sanctions/Export Controls) (TLACABAL)

Keywords

• Shippers association logistics
• Alcohol beverage freight forwarding
• Cargo insurance alcohol
• CBMA compliance services
• Carrier contract negotiation

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from importers, exporters, and distributors in the alcohol beverage industry who join to access collective shipping contracts and group buying power.
2. Cargo Insurance / Value Protection Program: Competitive cargo insurance program offering temperature coverage, warehouse product protection, and claims processing for beverage alcohol shipments.
3. Freight Forwarding Services (Albatrans): Subsidiary freight forwarding company handling wine, spirits, beer, corks, wooden barrels, and glassware shipping globally.
4. CBMA Services: Customs brokerage services handling Craft Beverage Modernization Act documentation and filings for duty credits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WSSA is a member-driven shippers' association that pools shipper volume to negotiate favorable ocean, air, and ground contracts on behalf of alcohol beverage importers, exporters, and distributors. It complements these contracts with the Value Protection Program cargo insurance, CBMA compliance services, and vertically integrated freight forwarding (Albatrans) and temperature-controlled warehousing (Alba W&S) for end-to-end beverage alcohol logistics.

Product overview

Wine and Spirits Shippers Association (WSSA) is a shippers' association serving the alcohol beverage industry. The core offering consists of Contract Management services that negotiate shipping contracts using collective buying power, combined with the Value Protection Program for cargo insurance. WSSA provides comprehensive logistics services through its freight forwarding subsidiary Albatrans (including temperature-controlled warehousing in Edison, NJ) and offers specialized services including CBMA compliance, cargo insurance, member events, and industry advocacy. The organization serves importers, exporters, and distributors in the alcohol beverage sector across global trade routes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contract Management Uses the aggregated shipper volume of members to negotiate favorable ocean, air, and ground shipping contracts on behalf of alcohol beverage importers, exporters, and distributors.
• Value Protection Program Competitive and comprehensive cargo insurance coverage designed specifically for alcohol beverage shippers, built on decades of claims experience.
• Optional Temperature Coverage Coverage option under the Value Protection Program that addresses temperature exposure during transit for wine, spirits, and beer.
• Warehouse Product Protection Cargo coverage extension that protects alcohol beverage inventory while stored at warehouse facilities.
• CBMA Services End-to-end Craft Beverage Modernization Act support including supplier allocation tracking, customs broker coordination, and required documentation filing for duty credit claims.
• Albatrans International Freight Forwarders Global freight forwarding services for wine, spirits, beer, corks, wooden barrels, and glassware, including LCL services from Europe and temperature-controlled shipping.
• Alba W&S Warehouse & Distribution Temperature-controlled warehousing and distribution services including ambient storage, temperature-controlled storage, high value storage, bonded storage, repackaging, kitting, quality assurance, and control state labeling, with daily delivery to NYC, NJ, and CT.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AlbatranscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlbatrans is the freight forwarding arm of WSSA and one of the largest global providers of logistics in the alcohol beverage sector. Operating across 45+ cities in 26 countries and 6 continents, Albatrans specializes in shipping wine, spirits, beer, corks, wooden barrels, and glassware. The partnership provides integrated logistics services including LCL (Less than Container Load) services from Europe, temperature-controlled shipping, and global freight management.
• Alba W&S Warehouse & DistributioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA subsidiary of WSSA's freight forwarding partner, Alba W&S Warehousing & Distribution operates a 600,000+ sq ft temperature controlled warehouse facility in Edison, NJ. Located minutes from the Port of NY/NJ, the facility offers ambient, temperature controlled, high value, and bonded storage along with full-service distribution for all beverage types. Services include repackaging, kitting, quality assurance, and control state labeling.
• Customs BrokerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWSSA works directly with customs brokers to file CBMA documentation and required forms on behalf of members. The association coordinates between members and their customs brokers to ensure proper documentation for duty credit claims under the Craft Beverage Modernization Act.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• C.H. Robinson: Large global freight broker and 3PL serving beverage alcohol shippers alongside many other verticals. Competes indirectly for alcohol logistics spend but does not specialize exclusively in wine/spirits.
• Expeditors International: Global forwarder with ocean and air capacity used by alcoholic beverage shippers. Not specialized, but a competitor for cross-border beverage freight arrangements.
• Mainfreight USA: Multi-modal forwarder with dedicated wine and beverage air-freight services and warehousing. Competes regionally and globally with Albatrans on wine and spirits forwarding lanes.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Global logistics provider with a dedicated Perishable Logistics team handling wine, spirits, and beer via air, ocean, and road. Offers overlapping capabilities but as part of a much broader portfolio.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Operates a Beverage Logistics sub-segment with ocean, air, and warehousing solutions for alcohol producers. A scaled incumbent that overlaps with Albatrans but is not specialized to a single vertical.

Direct peers

• JF Hillebrand Group: One of the largest global forwarders dedicated to beer, wine, and spirits, offering ocean, inland, and specialized beverage logistics. Most direct comparable to Albatrans/WSSA on product mix and customer base.
• Beverage Logistics Group: US-based freight forwarder focused on wine, spirits, and craft beverages with warehousing and compliance services. Closely overlaps WSSA/Albatrans on beverage-specialized forwarding and storage.
• Shipco Transport: Neutral NVOCC with a strong beverage alcohol lane and dedicated wine/spirits service. Operates in similar ocean LCL and freight forwarding categories as Albatrans, serving comparable alcohol importers.

Others

• Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA): Industry association for US wine and spirits distributors with extensive trade policy and CBMA advocacy. Complementary rather than directly competitive, but operates in the same alcohol trade policy and compliance space.
• National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA): US trade association representing customs brokers and freight forwarders. Comparable as an industry-association model, though broader than WSSA's alcohol-specific focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WineandSpiritsShippers
• Xx.com/WssaInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wine-and-spirits-shippers-association-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Wine and Spirits Shippers Association