Cardinal

What Cardinal does

Cardinal Global Logistics (legal entity: Cardinal Partnership) is a privately held, employee-owned logistics provider founded in 1999 and headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom. The company operates an integrated freight forwarding, supply chain, 3PL, customs brokerage, and financial services platform, serving over 6,000 clients across 500+ ports globally through 11 international offices spanning the UK, Ireland, China, South Africa, Vietnam, Thailand, and India. Its service portfolio is organized into five pillars: Logistics Services (ocean LCL/FCL/Wholesale, air, road, project, aerospace, and liquids freight); Supply Chain Services (PO Management, APIs, Carbon Calculator); Customs Bureau (clearance, advisory, regime management); 3PL Fulfilment (e-commerce, Amazon, B2B, value-added); and Financial Services (insurance and trade finance).

The company's delivery is anchored by the Leda technology platform, which provides client login access for supply chain visibility, shipment tracking, and operational control, supplemented by API integrations enabling programmatic data exchange and ERP connectivity. Cardinal positions itself as a technology-led logistics business with proprietary IT solutions for visibility and control; however, no AI/ML capabilities, patents, or research outputs are disclosed in available source material. Headcount is stated as 400+ colleagues globally (firmographic data lists 501-1000), and Cardinal claims to be the world's largest employee-owned logistics business.

Commercially, Cardinal generates revenue through transaction-fee-based freight forwarding (per-shipment billing on volume, weight, and complexity), recurring 3PL warehousing and pick-and-pack fees, customs documentation and advisory service fees, and professional fees on financial services. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with a Quick Quote self-service tool on its website supplemented by enterprise field sales through regional offices. The company targets mid-to-large B2B enterprises across e-commerce, manufacturing/industrial, aerospace, and energy verticals. The company is currently subject to a pending acquisition by San Mateo, announced 2026-06-29, to be financed in part through a $650M term loan.

Name

Cardinal

Legal name

Cardinal Partnership

Website

https://cardinal-plus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Cardinal Global Logistics is an employee-owned freight forwarder and supply chain provider offering ocean, air, road, and project logistics, 3PL fulfilment, customs brokerage, and financial services to over 6,000 B2B clients globally via 11 offices and the Leda technology platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services

NAICS

Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA), Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF)

Keywords

• Global freight forwarding
• Supply chain solutions
• 3PL fulfillment services
• Customs clearance services
• Project logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Logistics Services: Core freight forwarding services including Ocean (LCL, FCL, Wholesale), Air, Road, and Project logistics. Revenue is generated through service fees based on shipment volume, weight, and complexity.
2. 3PL Fulfilment: Third-party logistics fulfillment services including e-commerce, Amazon Fulfilment, B2B fulfillment, and value-added 3PL services. Revenue generated through warehousing, pick-and-pack, and dispatch services.
3. Customs Bureau: Customs clearance, advisory, and regime management services. Revenue from service fees for customs documentation processing and compliance advisory.
4. Financial Services: Trade finance and insurance services helping clients grow their business with reliable financing and risk coverage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cardinal Global Logistics is a technology-led logistics business providing global freight forwarding (ocean LCL/FCL/Wholesale, air, road, project, aerospace and liquids), 3PL fulfillment (e-commerce, Amazon, B2B and value-added), customs clearance and advisory, supply chain management tools, and trade finance and insurance. The integrated offering is powered by the proprietary Leda platform and served through 11 international offices across the UK, Hong Kong, South Africa, Ireland, Vietnam, Thailand and India.

Product overview

Cardinal Global Logistics is a technology-led logistics business offering an integrated platform of supply chain solutions. The portfolio comprises five interconnected service pillars: (1) Logistics Services covering ocean freight (LCL, FCL, Wholesale), air, road, project cargo, aerospace, and liquids transportation; (2) Supply Chain Services including PO Management, APIs for system integration, and a Carbon Calculator for environmental tracking; (3) Customs Bureau offering clearance, advisory, and regime management; (4) 3PL Fulfilment providing e-commerce, Amazon Fulfilment, B2B Fulfilment, and Value Added 3PL services with warehousing; and (5) Financial Services encompassing insurance and trade finance. The unified platform is powered by proprietary IT solutions (Leda) providing supply chain visibility and control across all services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ocean LCL (Less than Container Load) Ocean freight service for shipments that do not require a full container, allowing multiple shippers to share container space and reduce shipping costs for mid-sized international cargo.
• Ocean FCL (Full Container Load) Dedicated ocean freight service for full container shipments, providing exclusive use of a container for a single shipment when scale or cargo type warrants it.
• Ocean Wholesale Volume ocean freight services offering competitive rates for large-scale international shipping requirements.
• Air Freight Air transportation services for time-sensitive international and domestic shipments requiring rapid delivery.
• Road Freight Ground transportation services for regional and cross-border road cargo movement.
• Project Logistics Highly engineered logistics solutions for oversized, heavy or complex cargo requiring specialised handling, planning and transportation.
• Aerospace Logistics Specialised logistics services for the aerospace industry, handling sensitive components and equipment under regulatory and time-critical requirements.
• Liquids Logistics Transportation and handling services for liquid cargo, including bulk liquids and hazardous materials.
• PO Management Purchase Order Management service enabling clients to track and manage purchase orders throughout their supply chain.
• APIs Programmatic interfaces enabling integration with Cardinal's systems for automated supply chain management and data exchange.
• Carbon Calculator Environmental impact tool for calculating and tracking carbon emissions across client logistics operations.
• Customs Clearance Expert customs clearance services facilitating smooth import and export processes across international borders.
• Customs Advisory Professional advisory providing guidance on customs regulations, compliance requirements and trade policies.
• Regime Management Management of customs regimes and trade programs to optimise duty savings and regulatory compliance.
• E-commerce Fulfilment Fulfilment services tailored for e-commerce businesses, including order processing, warehousing and dispatch.
• Amazon Fulfilment Specialised fulfilment services integrated with Amazon's marketplace and logistics network.
• B2B Fulfilment Business-to-business fulfilment solutions for wholesale and bulk order processing.
• Value Added 3PL Enhanced third-party logistics services including kitting, assembly, custom packaging and other value-added operations.
• Insurance Services Cargo and logistics insurance coverage to protect shipments against loss, damage or delays.
• Trade Finance Financing solutions supporting international trade operations and cash flow management for clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trusted by over 6000 clients globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LedacoreTechnology or IntegrationLeda is the technology partner powering Cardinal's customer portal and logistics management system. The platform enables customers to log in and access supply chain visibility, shipment tracking, and operational control features. This is a core technology partnership enabling Cardinal's digital service delivery.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest global freight forwarders offering ocean, air, road, and contract logistics with integrated customs and supply chain technology. Most directly comparable to Cardinal on multi-mode forwarding, 3PL, and customs services.
• DSV A/S: Global transport and logistics company with strong air & sea forwarding, road, and contract logistics. Closely comparable to Cardinal's multi-mode, multi-region service mix and growth-via-acquisition strategy.
• C.H. Robinson: Major North American-headquartered global logistics platform offering ocean and air forwarding, truckload, and managed services. Comparable to Cardinal on multi-mode forwarding and tech-enabled supply chain management.
• Wincanton: UK-headquartered contract logistics and 3PL provider with e-commerce, B2B fulfilment, and transport services. Most directly comparable to Cardinal's UK e-commerce and 3PL fulfilment business.
• Yusen Logistics: Japan-headquartered global logistics provider with ocean/air forwarding, contract logistics, and automotive/aerospace specialism. Comparable to Cardinal on multi-region forwarding, customs, and 3PL.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German-headquartered family-owned global forwarder with strong road, air, and sea freight forwarding, contract logistics, and customs. Closely comparable to Cardinal on private/employee-style ownership and multi-mode forwarding.
• Expeditors International: US-headquartered global logistics provider focused on air and ocean freight forwarding plus customs brokerage. Directly comparable to Cardinal's asset-light forwarding model and customs bureau services.
• Agility Logistics: Kuwait-headquartered global forwarder with freight forwarding, contract logistics, and customs across emerging markets. Comparable to Cardinal on multi-region presence, especially Middle East/Africa and Asia trade lanes.

Broad incumbents

• DHL Global Forwarding: Deutsche Post DHL's freight forwarding arm, the largest global forwarder by revenue. Overlaps with Cardinal across ocean, air, road, customs, and supply chain services, but as part of a much broader integrated logistics portfolio.

Regional players

• Kerry Logistics Network: Asia-headquartered logistics provider with strong intra-Asia freight forwarding, 3PL, and customs. Comparable to Cardinal on the Asia trade-lane exposure, particularly Hong Kong and SE Asia offices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cardinalgl
• Facebookfacebook.com/100064188181185
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-car-concierge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cardinal