Wellard
Wellard was an Australian livestock vessel operator that chartered purpose-built ships for global transport of cattle and sheep. Founded in 1979, it ceased shipping operations in August 2025 and delisted from the ASX in November 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersFremantle, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Wellard firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wellard
- Legal name
- Wellard Limited
- Website
- https://wellard.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Wellard was an Australian livestock vessel operator that chartered purpose-built ships for global transport of cattle and sheep. Founded in 1979, it ceased shipping operations in August 2025 and delisted from the ASX in November 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wellard industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Livestock Transport
- NAICS
- Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (48311), Ship and Boat Building (33661)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialized Cargo Vessels (Cement/Asphalt/Woodchip/Live-Animal) Shipbuilding (IMAJAAAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Dry Bulk Ocean Shipping (Capesize/Panamax/Handysize) (TLADAKAA)
Keywords
Where Wellard is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fremantle
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Wellard business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Livestock Vessel Chartering: Wellard charters its purpose-built livestock vessels to exporters and importers for transporting cattle, sheep, and other livestock. Vessels are chartered for specific voyages, with charter rates based on vessel size, voyage duration, and route. The company transitioned to charter-only operations in 2019, ceasing its exporter/trader activities.
- Livestock Trading (Discontinued): Wellard previously bought and sold cattle and sheep as a principal, recording full revenue from livestock sales. This vertical integration was discontinued in June 2019 when the company became exclusively a chartering company.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Wellard product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wellard chartered purpose-built livestock vessels to exporters and importers globally, providing specialized long-haul livestock transport services for cattle and sheep. The company transitioned from a vertically integrated exporter/trader to a charter-only business in 2019 and ultimately concluded its livestock shipping operations in August 2025 with the sale of its final vessel, M/V Ocean Drover.
Product overview
Wellard was a livestock shipping and trading company operating purpose-built, technologically advanced vessels for global livestock transport. The company offered livestock vessel chartering services and live animal export (cattle and sheep) to markets worldwide including Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Middle East, and South America. Its core fleet included M/V Ocean Drover, M/V Ocean Swagman, M/V Ocean Shearer, and M/V Ocean Ute. The company also maintained the Wellao joint venture for Chinese market development. In August 2025, Wellard completed the sale of its final vessel and exited livestock shipping operations, transitioning to capital stewardship before delisting from the ASX in November 2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Livestock Vessel Chartering Services Chartering of purpose-built livestock vessels to exporters, importers, and governments globally for specialized long-haul livestock transport with expert crew and optimal animal welfare outcomes.
- Wellao Joint Venture (China Operations) Wholly-owned Chinese subsidiary developing feedlots and abattoir infrastructure in China for processing Australian cattle, supporting beef cattle market development and supply chain integration.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.9% cattle delivery success rate and 99.8% sheep delivery success rate in FY2020
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Wellard
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Wellard technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Wellard partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and minor.
- Fulida GroupstrategicWellard signed joint venture in China with Fulida Group for the Wellao venture to develop feedlots and abattoir in China for processing cattle trade.
- Ausvision Rural Services / Livestock Shipping ServicesminorPurchased Wellard's Wongan Hills feed mill and Baldivis Pre-Export Quarantine lease on a going-concern basis. Also acquired Beaufort River Meats abattoir after original buyer defaulted.
- Elders Rural Services Australia LtdminorMOU signed for procurement of Australian cattle commencing in 2019. Intended to provide greater certainty for suppliers, customers and the Company.
- Nova Marine Carriers SA (Switzerland)minorTrim Shipping SA, a subsidiary of Nova Marine Carriers SA of Lugano, Switzerland, was initially considered for purchase of MV Ocean Swagman at US$25.2 million, but condition precedent was not fulfilled by deadline.
- International Meats Pty LtdminorPurchased Beaufort River Meats (BRM) abattoir in Western Australia from Wellard after original sales agreement was defaulted upon.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Wellard competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Awassi Live Exports: Australian live sheep exporter focused on the Middle East, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, with seasonal demand peaks around religious festivals. Closely comparable to Wellard's sheep export business and direct competitor on Australia-Middle East livestock vessel charters.
- Rural Export & Trading Western Australia (RETWA): Western Australian livestock exporter with established positions in the live cattle trade from Australia to Indonesia, Vietnam, and other South East Asian markets. Competes directly with Wellard in the South East Asian feeder and slaughter cattle segments and shares the Fremantle operational base.
- Halleen Australasian Livestock Traders: Australian livestock trading and exporting firm active in dairy and beef cattle exports to China and South East Asia. Comparable to Wellard's livestock trading operations that were wound down in 2019 and to its Chinese market development via the Wellao JV.
- Al Mawashi Limited: Kuwaiti publicly listed livestock trading and shipping company and one of the largest exporters of sheep from Australia to the Middle East. Controlled Livestock Transport & Trading Co KSC, which purchased Wellard's M/V Ocean Shearer for US$53M in 2020. Operates purpose-built livestock vessels on similar Australia-Middle East trade routes, directly comparable in business model and customer base.
- Kuwait Livestock Transport and Trading Company (KLTT): Kuwait-based livestock trading and shipping company controlled by Al Mawashi. A core Wellard charter customer and the acquirer of M/V Ocean Shearer for US$53M, operating comparable purpose-built livestock tonnage on the same Australia-Middle East routes as Wellard historically served.
- North Australian Cattle Company (NACC): Australian live cattle exporter operating Northern Australian supply chains into Indonesia and Vietnam. Comparable to Wellard in target customer base (South East Asian feedlots and processors) and similar exposure to Indonesian government-mandated beef pricing dynamics and Indian buffalo meat competition.
- Australian Rural Exports (Austrex): Australian livestock export company specialising in dairy and beef cattle shipments to China, Russia, the Middle East, and South East Asia. Direct competitor in the breeding cattle export niche where Wellard served the Sri Lanka dairy heifer program and Chinese beef herd development.
Broad incumbents
- Elders Rural Services Australia Ltd: Major ASX-listed Australian agribusiness with livestock procurement, marketing, and export activities. Wellard signed an MOU with Elders in 2018 for Australian cattle procurement; Elders provides a much broader rural services portfolio but competes in the upstream livestock supply chain that fed Wellard's exporter business.
Regional players
- Göktaşlar Et: Turkish meat processor and livestock trading company that acquired Wellard's remaining live animal transport shipping capacity for US$51M in October 2025. Comparable as a buyer/operator in the South America-Turkey livestock trade route and now a direct holder of capacity formerly operated by Wellard.
Others
- Heytesbury Holdings Company: Australian private investment vehicle (Paul Holmes à Court) that held an 11.42% stake in Wellard and purchased M/V Ocean Swagman via a US$22M sale-and-leaseback in 2019. Operates Heytesbury Cattle Co across 2.5 million hectares. Comparable as a financial/strategic counterparty in the live export ecosystem rather than a direct shipping competitor.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Wellard social profiles
Digital presenceWellard financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wellard leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Wellard subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Wellard funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wellard M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wellard
What does Wellard do?
Wellard chartered purpose-built livestock vessels to exporters and importers globally, providing specialized long-haul livestock transport services for cattle and sheep. The company transitioned from a vertically integrated exporter/trader to a charter-only business in 2019 and ultimately concluded its livestock shipping operations in August 2025 with the sale of its final vessel, M/V Ocean Drover.
Is Wellard a public or private company?
Wellard is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently closed.
When was Wellard founded?
Wellard was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Wellard based?
Wellard is headquartered in Fremantle, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Wellard make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Livestock Vessel Chartering is the primary driver. The others are livestock Trading (Discontinued).
Who are Wellard's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Awassi Live Exports, Rural Export & Trading Western Australia (RETWA), Halleen Australasian Livestock Traders, Al Mawashi Limited, Kuwait Livestock Transport and Trading Company (KLTT), North Australian Cattle Company (NACC) and Australian Rural Exports (Austrex). Elders Rural Services Australia Ltd is listed as a broad incumbent. Göktaşlar Et is listed as a regional player. Heytesbury Holdings Company is listed as an others.
Does Wellard have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wellard.
What industry is Wellard in?
Wellard's product category is Maritime Livestock Transport. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAAAL, Specialized Cargo Vessels (Cement/Asphalt/Woodchip/Live-Animal) Shipbuilding, with a secondary code of TLADAKAA, Dry Bulk Ocean Shipping (Capesize/Panamax/Handysize). Its NAICS code is 336611 and its SIC code is 4400.