What C W S Logistics does

CWS Logistics Ltd. is a privately held, asset-based third-party logistics provider founded in 1997 in Regina, Saskatchewan and now headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The company operates an integrated logistics platform built around four service lines: AWSA-certified contract and dedicated warehousing, F1-rated custom chemical packaging, owned long-haul and LTL transportation, and an authorized container-return program. Its physical footprint comprises six warehousing and packaging facilities totaling over 839,000 sq ft across five Western Canadian cities (Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton), a fleet of 75 highway tractors and 200 trailers, two in-house tractor and trailer repair facilities, and an indoor 11-car rail-served packaging facility in Regina. Service differentiation comes from regulatory certifications (AWSA for chemical warehousing, F1 for hazardous packaging), Long Combination Vehicle deployment that lowers tractor-mile costs, GPS track-and-trace, and a proprietary 2018-launched mobile app that lets retail locations schedule empty container pickups.

The customer base is concentrated in enterprise agricultural and industrial chemical manufacturers — explicitly including BASF, Bayer, and IPCO as authorized container-return clients — and broader multi-national, publicly traded, and privately held companies requiring Western Canadian distribution of crop protection products, seed, and fertilizer. Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring per-square-foot storage and handling contracts (warehousing), transactional packaging fees (per-unit or per-container pricing from 2L through IBC), long-haul and LTL freight rates (transaction-fee per shipment), and container-return fees. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; customer relationships are managed through dedicated phone lines and direct contact rather than a digital self-serve motion. Go-to-market is relationship-based enterprise field sales, predominantly inbound through the cwslogistics.com website, direct phone, and email.

The business model is capital-intensive and vertically integrated: revenue is supported by owned real estate, owned fleet, owned repair shops, and AWSA/F1 certifications that would be costly for asset-light brokers to replicate. CWS self-describes as the largest privately held, asset-based 3PL in Western Canada. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no M&A history, no parent company, and no leadership changes in the available source material, consistent with a founder-controlled, organically grown operator that has compounded physical capacity over a roughly three-decade history.

Name

C W S Logistics

Legal name

CWS Logistics Ltd.

Website

https://cwslogistics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CWS Logistics Ltd. is a privately held, asset-based third-party logistics provider in Western Canada offering AWSA-certified warehousing, F1-rated packaging, owned-fleet transportation, and authorized container-return services to agricultural and industrial chemical enterprises across five cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Third-Party Logistics (3PL)

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885), Specialized Freight Trucking (4842), Warehousing and Storage (493)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Trucking (No Local) (4213)

akta.pro primary industry

Waste, Hazardous Waste & Regulated Disposal Logistics (RCRA/ADR Waste) (TLAIAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chemicals & Hazmat Transload (Regulated Goods) (TLALAFAH), Specialized Equipment Transport (Flatbed, Step-Deck, Lowboy, Car Carrier) (TLAIAMAH)

Keywords

• Third-party logistics
• Warehousing services
• Chemical packaging
• Freight transportation
• Container return

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Warehousing and Storage Services: Contract and dedicated warehousing services providing storage for agricultural chemicals and seed, with inventory management capabilities. Revenue generated through per-square-footage storage fees and handling charges.
2. Packaging Services: Custom packaging services for agricultural and industrial chemical industries, handling packaging sizes from 2L to large IBC containers. Includes bulk liquid packaging, filling, labeling, and palletization services.
3. Transportation and Logistics: Long-haul and local market delivery services across Western Canada. Services include truckload and LTL shipments, heated dry vans, bulk liquid tankers, hot shots, and inter-city transfers. Fleet of 75 highway tractors and 200 trailers owned and operated by CWS.
4. Container Return Program: Authorized container pickup and return services for BASF, Bayer, and IPCO at retail locations across Western Canada, including container reconditioning services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CWS Logistics operates as an asset-based third-party logistics (3PL) provider offering integrated warehousing, packaging, transportation, and container return services for agricultural and industrial chemical companies across Western Canada. The company operates six AWSA-certified facilities totaling 839,000+ square feet, a state-of-the-art F1-rated packaging facility with an indoor 11-car rail in Regina, and an owned fleet of 75 highway tractors and 200 trailers.

Product overview

CWS Logistics operates as a third-party logistics (3PL) provider offering an integrated service model combining Warehousing, Packaging, and Transportation services with Container Return capabilities. The company operates six AWSA-certified warehousing facilities (exceeding 800,000 sq ft) across five cities in Western Canada, a state-of-the-art packaging facility in Regina, Saskatchewan, and maintains a fleet of 75 highway tractors and 200 trailers. The CWS Logistics App enables retail container return requests. Services include contract and dedicated warehousing, chemical packaging (2L to IBC containers), long-haul and LTL transportation, and authorized container pickup for BASF, Bayer, and IPCO.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Warehousing AWSA certified storage and handling services for agricultural chemicals and seed, with over 839,000 square feet of facility space across six AWSA-certified locations in Western Canada (Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton). Includes contract and dedicated warehousing with inventory management capabilities.
• Packaging Customized packaging services for agricultural and industrial chemical industries, featuring an indoor 11-car rail packaging facility in Regina with F1 rated classification. Handles packaging sizes from 2L to large IBC containers, including bulk liquid packaging, filling, labeling, and palletization services.
• Transportation Long-haul and local market delivery services across Western Canada with an owned fleet of 75 highway tractors and 200 trailers. Services include truckload and LTL shipments, heated dry vans, bulk liquid tankers, hot shots, and inter-city transfers. Long Combination Vehicle (LCV) deployment reduces tractor miles. Includes GPS track and trace for shipment visibility and proof of delivery.
• Container Return Authorized empty returnable container pickup and return service at retail locations across Western Canada for BASF, Bayer, and IPCO. Includes container reconditioning services and a dedicated mobile app (released 2018) for pickup scheduling. Hundreds of thousands of containers processed annually.

Quantifiable outcome

• Next day service to hundreds of service points in Western Canada
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BASFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWS Logistics is authorized to pick up empty returnable containers at retail locations across Western Canada for BASF. This partnership represents a core container return program relationship where CWS handles the logistics of container collection and return on behalf of BASF.
• BayercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWS Logistics is authorized to pick up empty returnable containers at retail locations across Western Canada for Bayer. This partnership enables Bayer to fulfill container return obligations through CWS's established collection network and container return app.
• IPCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWS Logistics is authorized to pick up empty returnable containers at retail locations across Western Canada for IPCO. IPCO benefits from CWS's Western Canadian retail network coverage and container return expertise.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mullen Group Ltd. Western Canadian asset-based transportation and logistics provider with multiple operating segments. Comparable to CWS on geographic focus, ownership structure, and asset-heavy contract logistics model.
• Ruan Transportation Management Systems: US-based asset-based 3PL specializing in dedicated trucking, bulk transport, and warehousing for chemical, food, and industrial customers. Comparable to CWS on specializing in regulated goods and dedicated chemical logistics.
• Day & Ross Transportation Group: Canadian asset-based freight, LTL, and logistics provider with industrial/specialized freight capabilities. Comparable to CWS on full-service 3PL offering and Canadian operations.
• Kenan Advantage Group (KAG): North American bulk transport and logistics provider focusing on chemicals, food, and petroleum. Comparable to CWS on specialized chemical bulk logistics and asset-based service model.
• Quality Distribution Inc. North American bulk chemical trucking and logistics provider. Comparable to CWS on chemical bulk transport, container return/reconditioning, and dedicated fleet for chemical customers.
• Trimac Transportation: Canadian asset-based bulk carrier specializing in chemicals, fuel, and industrial fluids. Most direct comparable to CWS on chemical-handling specialization and asset-heavy Canadian operations.

Broad incumbents

• DHL Supply Chain (Canada): Global 3PL with Canadian operations spanning warehousing, contract logistics, and transportation. Comparable to CWS on multi-service 3PL offering but operates at global scale and broader customer base.
• Purolator Inc. Canada's largest parcel and freight carrier with warehousing and logistics services. Overlaps with CWS on Canadian contract logistics but is much broader and parcel-focused.
• GXO Logistics Inc. Global pure-play contract logistics provider with warehousing and integrated supply chain services. Comparable to CWS as a multi-service 3PL provider but operates at global scale with broader portfolio.
• TFI International Inc. One of Canada's largest transportation and logistics conglomerates, with truckload, LTL, logistics, and dedicated services across North America. Overlaps with CWS broadly in Canadian trucking/logistics but operates at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/c-w-s-logistics

Compliance1 record

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 C W S Logistics