Murray Richard & Co Inc

What Murray Richard & Co Inc does

Richard Murray & Co Inc is a privately held, family-owned international logistics and customs brokerage firm founded in 1923 and headquartered in Mobile, Alabama. The company operates as a licensed Customs House Broker (CHB) and Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC), providing import clearance, HTS classification, importer bond filing, ISF/AES filing, and CBP assistance, alongside international ocean and air freight forwarding (FCL, LCL, air, RoRo, Reefer, break bulk), cargo insurance, and — via partner companies — drayage, warehousing, intermodal, and trucking services. It holds CTPAT certification and operates a customer portal that provides real-time track-and-trace visibility and automated daily reports. A Shanghai office supports Asia-origin representation, with a broader global agent network for booking, document confirmation, and local regulatory support.

The company serves importers and exporters across finished goods, forest products, steel, and scrap, with a vertically segmented approach that emphasizes regulatory expertise and relationship-based account management. Revenue is generated primarily through transaction fees on freight bookings and professional service fees on customs brokerage, supplemented by cargo insurance commissions and a new 3% Duty Outlay Charge (effective April 1, 2025) applied to shipments where the company advances duties on behalf of customers. Go-to-market is sales-led, with account executives such as Renzo Alvarado (14 years of logistics experience) managing customer relationships directly, supported by content marketing (tariff updates, regulatory guidance) on the company blog and active social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. The customer base is characterized by long-tenured relationships, with the founder noting that "most of our customers have remained with us for many many years." Leadership includes President Lindsey Hilner and Customs Compliance Manager Justin Phares; the firm has remained under family ownership since 1923 with no external investment or private equity backing disclosed.

Name

Murray Richard & Co Inc

Legal name

Richard Murray & Co., Inc.

Website

https://richard-murray.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Richard Murray & Co Inc is a privately held, 100-year-old licensed customs brokerage and international freight forwarder based in Mobile, Alabama, serving importers and exporters in finished goods, forest products, steel, and scrap with customs clearance, ocean/air freight, and integrated drayage/warehousing via partner companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Customs Brokerage & International Freight Forwarding

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Export/Import Documentation Preparation (Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Shipper’s Letter of Instruction) (TLACAHAD), General Cargo Air Freight Forwarding (Airport-to-Airport / Door-to-Door) (TLACAAAA), Project & OOG/Breakbulk Ocean Forwarding (Out-of-Gauge, RoRo) (TLACABAH), Cross-Border Trucking & Border Transfer (Linehaul, Transloading) (TLACACAC)

Keywords

• Customs brokerage services
• International freight forwarding
• Ocean and air freight
• Supply chain logistics
• Import and export services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mobile

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Customs Brokerage Services: The company provides licensed customs house brokerage services including import clearance, HTS classification, Importer Bond Filing, ISF Filing, AES Filing, and CBP assistance. These services generate revenue through service fees charged for customs clearance and regulatory compliance work.
2. International Freight Forwarding: International ocean and air freight services including FCL, LCL, air freight, RoRo, Reefer, and Break Bulk cargo handling. Revenue is generated through freight booking, documentation, and coordination services across their global agent network.
3. Duty Outlay Charge: Effective April 1, 2025, a 3% Duty Outlay Charge is applied to all shipments to cover the cost of duties paid on behalf of customers. This administrative fee applies when the company advances duty payments on behalf of clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Murray Richard & Co Inc is a licensed customs house broker and international freight forwarder that coordinates the cross-border movement of cargo for U.S. importers and exporters. Core offerings include customs brokerage and compliance, international ocean and air freight forwarding, cargo insurance, and domestic drayage, warehousing, and over-the-road trucking, delivered as a coordinated door-to-door logistics service from a single point of contact.

Product overview

Richard Murray & Co is a logistics and customs brokerage company offering door-to-door logistics services. The company's product portfolio consists of four core service offerings: Customs House Brokerage (licensed brokerage for import/export clearance), International Ocean & Air Freight (global freight forwarding with FCL, LCL, air freight), Cargo Insurance (full invoice value protection), and Drayage/Warehouse/Trucking (through partner companies Southern Intermodal Xpress, Point Logistics, and Merchants Transfer). The services are unified under a single point of contact with consolidated billing, supported by a Customer Portal providing real-time track-and-trace visibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Customs House Brokerage Licensed customs brokerage service for U.S. importers and exporters, covering HTS classification, customs documentation, duty payment advancement, and direct interaction with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
• International Ocean Freight Forwarding
• International Air Freight Forwarding
• Cargo Insurance
• Drayage, Warehouse & Over the Road Trucking

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Southern Intermodal Xpress (SIX)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern Intermodal Xpress provides intermodal services as part of the consolidated logistics offerings. The company merged with Point Logistics Transportation LLC in 2014 and operates as a key partner for drayage, transload, and intermodal services.
• Point LogisticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoint Logistics provides trucking and logistics services, operating in conjunction with Southern Intermodal Xpress. Mac Taul, John Stimpson, and Christopher Watkins started Point Logistics in 2006 and later merged with Cargo Dispatch Trucking and then SIX Inc.
• Merchants TransfercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMerchants Transfer provides warehouse and over-the-road trucking services. The company was originally founded in 1904 as a warehousing and moving company at the Alabama State Docks and is a key partner for drayage and warehousing operations.
• N. D. CunninghamminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRichard Murray & Co opened an office in Savannah, Georgia with N. D. Cunningham in the 1980s. This office operated for five years.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Livingston International: North American customs broker and international freight forwarder of similar mid-market scale. Directly comparable in offering licensed customs brokerage, trade compliance services, and freight forwarding to importers/exporters.
• Mallory Alexander International Logistics: Mid-sized U.S.-based international freight forwarder and customs broker offering similar door-to-door logistics, customs brokerage, and warehousing services. Comparable size and business model to Richard Murray.

Broad incumbents

• UPS Customs Brokerage: Licensed customs brokerage arm of UPS providing import clearance, HTS classification, and trade compliance. Overlaps with Richard Murray on customs services for enterprise shippers.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest global forwarders with integrated customs brokerage and contract logistics. Directly comparable on ocean/air forwarding and customs services but at global enterprise scale.
• JAS Worldwide: Global freight forwarder with strong air and ocean forwarding and customs brokerage capabilities. Comparable services in international freight forwarding and customs clearance for mid-market shippers.
• C.H. Robinson Worldwide: One of the largest North American 3PLs and freight forwarders with global reach. Overlaps with Richard Murray on customs brokerage, ocean/air forwarding, and intermodal coordination but operates at vastly larger scale.
• Expeditors International: Global freight forwarder with strong North America air/ocean presence and customs capabilities. Comparable services across international ocean and air freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and trade compliance.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarding and customs clearance arm of Deutsche Post DHL. Overlaps substantially on international ocean/air freight forwarding and customs brokerage for importers/exporters.
• FedEx Trade Networks: Customs brokerage and global freight forwarding arm of FedEx. Direct overlap on customs clearance, international ocean/air freight forwarding, and trade compliance services.

Emerging players

• Flexport: Tech-enabled digital freight forwarder offering ocean, air, and customs services through a software platform. Competes in the same freight forwarding and customs brokerage space but with a digitally native model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/richard-murray-and-co

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Murray Richard & Co Inc