What Balguerie does

Balguerie Group is a 100% family-owned French international logistics conglomerate founded in 1930 and headquartered in Le Havre, France. The group operates through a multi-brand architecture encompassing the core Balguerie brand and approximately 17 specialized subsidiaries, each focused on a distinct logistics vertical: Océans and Corsefret/Cotrasud handle maritime transport, Flytrans and ITP cover air freight, Transcausse and Transcausse Démimpex manage land transport and automotive logistics, Pillet provides multimodal commissionaire services (acquired heritage brand founded 1880), WS Logistics specializes in exhibition and event logistics, IPC addresses project and out-of-gauge cargo, STAC operates multimodal platforms, Transo serves wine logistics, Multitrade Spain handles cross-border logistics to Spain, and Reuse focuses on circular economy and reuse logistics.

The group serves enterprise B2B clients requiring coordinated international transport across maritime, air, and land modes, with a particularly strong structural position in French overseas territories (DROM-COM) through Balguerie Outre-Mer, which operates dedicated entities in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyane, Polynésie, and Saint-Martin. Operating scale includes 50 office locations across metropolitan France and overseas territories, approximately 1,250 collaborators, 35,000 m² of warehouse space, 12,000 trailers, 30,000 reefer TEUs, and 265,000 TEUs controlled annually. The group processes 320,000 files per year and executes 250,000 customs declarations annually, indicating a high-volume transactional operation.

Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-fee freight forwarding services quoted on a per-shipment basis depending on volume, destination, transport mode, and service complexity. Annual billing (facturation) is reported at approximately €700M, with gross volume handling capacity spanning 30,000 tons of air freight and 100 cars/wagons plus 25,000 cbm for industrial projects. The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales delivered through a direct office network across 50 implantations, with marketing supplemented by content marketing, sailing sponsorships, and newsletters. Customer recommendation rates exceed 95% based on internal studies.

Name

Balguerie

Legal name

Balguerie Group

Website

https://balguerie-group.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Balguerie Group is a 100% family-owned French international logistics company founded in 1930, operating through 17+ specialized sub-brands across 50 locations. It provides multimodal freight forwarding (maritime, air, land), customs brokerage, and project cargo services to B2B enterprise clients, with structural strength in French overseas territories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Freight Forwarding and Logistics

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Scheduled Air Transportation (48111)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)

akta.pro primary industry

LCL (Less-than-Container Load) Consolidation/Deconsolidation (TLACABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Air Consolidation & Deconsolidation (Consols, Master/House AWB) (TLACAAAB), Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF), General Cargo Air Freight Carriers (Scheduled & Charter) (TLADAAAA), Trade Compliance & Ocean Regulatory Services (Sanctions/Export Controls) (TLACABAL)

Keywords

• International freight forwarding
• Multimodal logistics services
• Customs brokerage services
• Maritime air land transport
• Project cargo logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Le Havre

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding Services: Commissionnaire de transport multimodal providing international shipping services across maritime, air, and land transport modes with customs clearance capabilities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Balguerie Group is a 100% family-owned French logistics company providing international multimodal freight forwarding and logistics services across maritime, air, and land transport modes. The group operates through specialized subsidiary brands delivering customs brokerage, project cargo, exhibition logistics, wine logistics, and overseas territories shipping, handling approximately 320,000 files, 30,000 tons of air freight, 265,000 TEUs, and 250,000 customs declarations annually.

Product overview

Balguerie Group operates as a diversified logistics conglomerate with a unified platform-plus-multiple-sub-brands architecture. The core Balguerie brand provides multimodal international transport and logistics services, while specialized sub-brands address distinct market segments: Océans handles maritime transport, Flytrans manages air freight, Transcausse and Pillet provide land and multimodal logistics including automotive transport, WS Logistics serves exhibition and event logistics, IPC handles project cargo, STAC operates multimodal platforms, Transo specializes in wine transport, Balguerie Outre-Mer serves French overseas territories, and Reuse focuses on circular economy logistics. The group also offers ancillary services including customs brokerage (250,000+ declarations annually), excise alcohol management, and specialized transport modes (OOG, RoRo, industrial projects). Operating since 1930 as a 100% family-owned enterprise, the group manages approximately 700M€ in annual billing across 1,250 employees and 50 locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Balguerie: Core brand for international transport and logistics services
• Balguerie Outre-Mer
• Corsefret
• Cotrasud
• Flytrans
• ITP
• IPC
• Multitrade Spain
• NATT
• Océans
• Pillet
• Reuse
• STAC
• Transcausse
• Transcausse Démimpex
• Transo
• WS Logistics

Products and services

• Balguerie International Multimodal Transport International multimodal freight forwarding service combining maritime, air, and land transport, designed for businesses shipping goods internationally. Serves clients for over 90 years.
• Flytrans Air Freight Air freight logistics and air transport services provided as a specialized sub-brand of Balguerie Group.
• Transcausse Land Transport and Multimodal Logistics Land and multimodal transport services, including automotive logistics, operated under the Transcausse sub-brand.
• Pillet Multimodal Transport and Customs Services Multimodal transport commission agent and customs services established in Le Havre since 1880, now operating as a wholly-owned Balguerie Group brand.
• Balguerie Outre-Mer Overseas Territories Shipping Specialized transport services for French overseas territories (DROM-COM), including Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana, Polynesia, and Saint-Martin, via maritime, air, and land routes.
• Océans Maritime Transport Maritime transport services provided as a specialized sub-brand within the Balguerie Group portfolio.
• WS Logistics Exhibition and Event Logistics Complete logistics services for exhibitors in France and internationally, providing tailored exhibition logistics for over 20 years.
• IPC Industrial Project Cargo Transport Specialized project cargo handling services for industrial, energy, and infrastructure projects, with capacity for 100 cars/wagons and 25,000 cbm of bulk cargo.
• STAC Multimodal Platform Services Multimodal platform services for international transport, linking maritime, road, and rail transport options.
• Transo Wine and Beverage Logistics Specialized transport logistics services for the wine and beverage industry.
• Customs Declaration Services Expert customs brokerage service including 250,000 customs declarations annually, import/export clearance, and tariff classification.
• Excise Management (Régie Alcool) Authorized alcohol customs warehouse management including DAE, DSA/DSAC, DAES documentation, DRM monthly declarations, and DAI annual inventory.
• Industrial Projects Transport Specialized transport service for industrial projects including 100 cars/wagons and 25,000 cbm of bulk cargo handling capacity.
• Out of Gauge (OOG) Transport Expert handling of oversized and heavy cargo beyond standard dimensions.
• RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off) Transport Maritime transport service for rolling stock vehicles using roll-on/roll-off vessels.
• LCL/FCL Maritime Shipping Less than Container Load and Full Container Load maritime shipping services.
• Multitrade Spain Cross-Border Logistics Cross-border logistics and transport services for Spain-based operations within the Balguerie Group.

Quantifiable outcome

• 320,000 files processed annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Nos Quartiers ont du Talent (NQT)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation supporting young graduates in job searches through mentoring program. Balguerie Group employees volunteer as mentors providing career guidance, CV advice, and interview preparation. Partnership supports the group's ReSpEct CSR program.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• CEVA Logistics: CMA CGM-owned global logistics provider with ocean-air-land forwarding and contract logistics; competes with Balguerie in integrated supply chain and customs-related services across European markets.
• Expeditors International: US-listed global freight forwarder focused on ocean and air forwarding with customs brokerage; comparable business model in freight forwarding services and customs, though at materially larger scale.
• DSV A/S: Global freight forwarder and one of the largest in Europe post-Schenker acquisition; competes broadly with Balguerie across air, sea, and road forwarding while offering integrated contract logistics at much larger scale.
• DB Schenker: German-headquartered global freight forwarder and contract logistics provider (now part of DSV); overlaps with Balguerie in multimodal forwarding across European land and global air/ocean.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Top-3 global freight forwarder with strong ocean, air, and overland capabilities; competes with Balguerie on multinational B2B forwarding contracts and customs services, with materially larger scale.
• XPO Logistics: Global logistics provider with European freight forwarding, road, and contract logistics operations; comparable multimodal service mix though with stronger North American truckload focus.

Direct peers

• Bolloré Logistics: French freight forwarding and logistics arm of Bolloré Group with deep multimodal capabilities and Africa/overseas-territory strengths; competes with Balguerie on international supply chain and project cargo.
• Geodis: French-headquartered global freight forwarder and logistics provider owned by SNCF; directly competes with Balguerie in multimodal forwarding, ocean/air freight, and customs across France and overseas territories.
• Dachser: German family-owned logistics company specializing in road transport and air/ocean freight forwarding; comparable mid-sized European family-controlled peer with multimodal and European distribution strengths.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German-headquartered family-owned global freight forwarder offering air, sea, road, and contract logistics; closely comparable mid-sized family-controlled competitor with similar multimodal service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/balguerie-group

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries20 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 Balguerie