What Seacon does

Seacon Group Limited is a UK-based, family-owned (Roth family) logistics and port terminal operator founded in 1955 as Sea & Continental Waterways Transport Ltd, specialising in neo-bulk cargoes including steel, metals, forest products, and paper. The company is vertically integrated, combining owned coastal shipping (mv Sea Charente built 1996 and mv Sea Shannon built 1998), port terminal operations, and a haulage fleet of 70 purpose-built trailers and 16 vehicles capable of carrying up to 29 tonnes, delivered 24/7. Operations are organised across four UK sites — Northfleet (Port of London) as headquarters and main terminal, Tilbury for paper and pulp handling, Garston (Liverpool) for Forest Products, and Rye for shipbroking — plus a minority part-owner stake in Birsterminal AG, a Rhine-based multi-modal terminal in Birsfelden, Switzerland.

Core technology comprises a bespoke Warehouse Management System developed over 20 years, with full EDI integration across PapiNet, Embarc, EDIFACT, flat-file, and XML formats, second-generation Wi-Fi-enabled barcode scanners, and real-time web-accessible stock reporting at batch and unit level; HMRC EDI links support the AEO-accredited customs processing team. Physical assets include a covered berth and a deep-water riverside berth at Northfleet, 25 forklifts (3–25 tonne range, including a £500K+ Hyundai fleet renewal), 16,000 M² of dedicated storage plus 6,000 M² of additional covered storage for forest products, and Seacon (SG) Tilbury's Bonded Warehouse facility, where over 85% of throughput is reported to flow through EDI.

Revenue is generated through direct B2B sales across five streams: terminal handling and storage (managed services), shipping and door-to-door transport (professional services with own fleet plus third-party subcontractors), shipbroking and port agency via Freight Express-Seacon (Rye) Ltd (transaction fees), and customs clearance including import/export, T1 transit forms, Northern Ireland clearances, and consultancy. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The customer base comprises enterprise shippers of neo-bulk cargoes — described as acting as a Distribution Centre for multiple blue-chip clients — with named reference customer Parenco (Netherlands paper manufacturer) running 36 dedicated shipments per year, alongside a stated commitment to lower-volume shippers via tailored logistics solutions. The group operates five wholly-owned subsidiaries (Seacon Terminals, Seacon (SG), Seacon Transport, Freight Express-Seacon (Rye)) and holds a minority interest in Birsterminal AG.

Name

Seacon

Legal name

Seacon Group Limited

Website

https://seacongroup.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Seacon Group is a family-owned UK logistics firm operating vertically integrated port terminals, coastal shipping, haulage, shipbroking, and customs clearance services for neo-bulk cargoes — including steel, metals, forest products, and paper — serving blue-chip B2B shippers across the UK and continental Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Port Terminal & Transport Logistics Services

NAICS

Marine Cargo Handling (488320), Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Water Transportation (483)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Water Transportation (4400), Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)

akta.pro primary industry

Terminal Cargo Handling & Yard Operations (Receiving, Staging, Delivery) (TLAHALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stevedoring & Vessel Loading/Discharging (Ship-to-Shore Operations) (TLAHALAA), Cargo Handling & Lifting Equipment (Cranes, Derricks, Hoists) (IMAJAIAB), Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE)

Keywords

• Port terminal operations
• Neo-bulk cargo handling
• Warehousing and distribution
• Shipbroking services
• Haulage transport services

Headquarters

HQ city

Northfleet

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Terminal Operations: Cargo handling, storage and distribution services at ports including Northfleet (Port of London) and Tilbury. Provides specialist facilities with covered berths and deep-water berths for neo-bulk cargoes.
2. Shipping and Transport: Door-to-door transport solutions using own fleet of ships, trailers and vehicles. Seacon Transport specialises in haulage of Newsprint, Forest Products and Steel with 24/7 delivery capability.
3. Shipbroking Services: Chartering brokers and shipping agents through Freight Express-Seacon (Rye) Ltd. Focus on bulk and breakbulk dry cargoes with port agency services.
4. Customs Clearance: AEO accredited customs processing team offering UK Import and Export services, bonded warehouse facilities, T1 transit forms, and customs consultancy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Seacon Group provides vertically integrated 'door-to-door' transport solutions for neo-bulk cargoes including steel, metals, and forest products, using own ships, terminals, and haulage fleet. Services encompass port terminal operations (Northfleet, Tilbury), warehousing and storage, customs clearance, shipbroking, and nationwide road haulage distribution.

Product overview

Seacon Group is a private logistics and transport company founded in 1955, offering comprehensive 'door-to-door' transport solutions. The portfolio consists of multiple sub-brands: Seacon Terminals (Northfleet terminal with covered and deep-water berths), Seacon (SG) Limited (Tilbury port terminal operator for cargo handling and distribution), Seacon Transport (haulage fleet of 70 trailers and 16 vehicles), Seacon Shipbrokers (Freight Express-Seacon for chartering and port agency), and Birsterminal AG (Swiss multi-modal terminal partnership). Supporting infrastructure includes two proprietary Warehouse Management Systems (Seacon WMS and Seacon Terminals WMS) with EDI capabilities, customs clearance services (AEO accredited), a two-vessel shipping fleet (mv Sea Charente and mv Sea Shannon), and Seacon Commercial Management for vessel operations. The company specializes in neo-bulk cargoes including steel, metals, forest products, and paper.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seacon Terminals Port terminal operations at Northfleet in the Port of London offering through-transport services using own ships, terminal and lorries with a covered berth for all-weather working and a riverside deep-water berth for neo-bulk cargoes.
• Seacon (SG) Limited Terminal Operations UK port-based terminal operator at Tilbury (London) offering cargo handling, storage and distribution services to the logistics industry and directly to manufacturers. One of the UK's largest independent suppliers to the paper and pulp industry.
• Seacon Transport Haulage Road haulage service specialising in Newsprint, Forest Products and Steel (Coils, Plates & Sections) using a fleet of 70 purpose-built trailers and 16 modern vehicles capable of carrying up to 29 tonnes, available 24/7.
• Seacon Shipbroking and Port Agency Chartering brokerage and shipping agency services for bulk and breakbulk dry cargoes, with port agency at Rye, Shoreham, Newhaven, and the River Medway.
• Seacon Customs Clearance Services AEO accredited customs processing team offering UK Import and Export services, bonded warehouse entry and removal, T1 transit forms, Northern Ireland clearances, Customs Consultancy, and EDI links to HMRC systems.
• Seacon Warehousing Modern, purpose-built, Wi-Fi enabled warehousing within Port of Tilbury for long-term contracts and shorter overflow storage needs with 16,000 M² dedicated storage plus 6,000 M² additional covered storage at Northfleet.
• Seacon Distribution Services Nationwide distribution services using Seacon Transport fleet and third-party subcontractors offering container shunt services and specialist trailers for nationwide coverage.
• Seacon Ship Agency Services Ship agency services with detailed knowledge of Port of London and Port of Medway, available 24/7, including customs clearance, crew repatriation, and provisions supply.
• Seacon Commercial Management for Vessels Full commercial management for vessel owners including marketing, employment, bunkering arrangements, port agent liaison, and disbursement settlement.
• Seacon Shipping Fleet Services Shipowning and chartering services using mv Sea Charente and mv Sea Shannon single-decker coaster vessels for bulk and neo-bulk cargo trade, both chartered to Seacon Terminals Ltd.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85%+ of throughput uses EDI benefits
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PD PortscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2018Partnership formally announced in September 2018 offering Tilbury customers an alternative and strategically flexible point of entry into the UK. Provides strategic flexibility for Seacon (SG) customers at Tilbury facility.
• AHOY Centre CharityminorOthers · 1 January 20185-year partnership with The AHOY Centre Charity - a watersports charity changing lives and building life skills through sailing and rowing. Seacon will fund the pathway of an apprentice to achieve NVQ in Activity leadership.
• Birsterminal AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeacon Group is proud to be partner and part-owner of Birsterminal AG in the Port of Basel. This Rhine-based multi-modal terminal in Birsfelden offers unrivalled facilities for cargo handling with direct access to rail and motorway connections.
• Acclaim HandlingminorOthersEquipment supplier for 13 new Hyundai forklift trucks worth over £500K. Acclaim sourced and provided demonstration trucks and new attachments for Seacon's fleet renewal programme.
• Dennison TrailersminorOthersCollaboration between Seacon Transport and Dennison Trailers. Featured on UK Haulier website as a partnership for trailer solutions.
• Associated British Ports (ABP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ABP at Port of Garston for Seacon's expansion into Liverpool area. Provides services for Forest Products handling from second UK location.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Maritime Transport: UK port-based container terminal operator with intermodal rail freight and road haulage. Closest comparable combining inland terminal operations with own-vehicle distribution.
• Peel Ports Group: UK port group operating Liverpool, Heysham, and Clyde ports with cargo handling, storage, and onward logistics. Direct comparable on multi-port terminal operations and cargo handling at scale, though significantly larger.
• PD Ports: UK port operator with terminals on the Tees and Humber, plus a partnership with Seacon at Tilbury. Comparable as a regional port-based terminal operator offering cargo handling, storage, and distribution to industrial customers.
• DFDS Seaways: European shipping and logistics operator with own vessels, terminals, and trucking. Closest large-scale analog of Seacon's vertically integrated door-to-door model across European short-sea routes.
• Forth Ports Limited: UK port operator (Tilbury-adjacent) with multi-modal terminals including Grangemouth and Tilbury. Competes in the same south-east England port and cargo handling market as Seacon.
• Solent Stevedores: UK stevedoring and cargo handling specialist operating at south-coast ports. Direct comparable on ship-to-shore vessel loading/discharging and bulk cargo handling services.

Broad incumbents

• Wincanton: UK warehousing and transport specialist serving major retailers. Comparable on warehouse management, distribution, and EDI-integrated operations, though without port/terminal specialisation.
• Clarkson PLC: World's largest shipbroking group with extensive dry bulk and breakbulk chartering operations. Comparable to Freight Express-Seacon (Rye) shipbroking division, though at vastly larger scale.
• Hutchison Ports (UK): Global container port operator with UK presence at Felixstowe and Harwich. Overlap in port-based terminal operations and cargo handling, but specialises in container rather than neo-bulk cargo.
• Associated British Ports (ABP): UK's largest port group with 21 ports including Tilbury-adjacent facilities. Seacon is a tenant/partner at ABP-operated Port of Garston. Broad incumbent with overlapping terminal operations but at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theseacon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seacongroup

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Seacon