What casper shipping does

Casper Shipping is the operating brand for the port-agency, customs, defence, chartering and demurrage activities of the privately held Casper Group, headquartered at Tees Wharf in Middlesbrough. Founded in 1872 by Danish brothers Hans and Harold Casper and now family-owned under Michael Shakesheff following a 2015 management buy-out, the company runs eleven UK sites plus a regional office in Chalkis, Greece, delivering 24/7/365 maritime services to shipping companies, charterers, the Royal Navy, renewable energy developers and industrial project cargo clients. Its six core divisions — Casper Port Agency (tanker, dry cargo, hub, offshore, liner and specialist agency handling 2,500+ port movements per year), Casper Customs, Casper Logistics, Casper Chartering (with an owned CCL fleet of eight coasters including MV Ventura and MV Verity), Casper Defence and Casper Renewables & Special Projects — operate alongside support units ShipDem, Casper Hub, Johnson Partners (acquired 2024) and HC Shipping & Chartering (acquired 2021).

Revenue is generated primarily through service fees and transaction-based commissions across port agency, customs clearance, freight forwarding, chartering broking, defence logistics and renewables project work, with bespoke multi-year contracts and quote-based pricing. Casper has invested in proprietary technology to support these services: the Flytta customs automation system reduces declaration processing from 90 minutes to 90 seconds, the Casper Digital division (formed 2023 with AI partner SeerBI) applies machine learning and NLP to customs workflows, and integration with HMRC-trusted ASM Sequoia delivers a one-hour customs turnaround. Distribution is direct via account managers and division-specific teams, supplemented by the ELITE Global Logistics Network for international freight. Casper holds the Full AEO, ISO 9001:2015, was the first European agency to complete a CDI-mpc tanker audit, was the first UK Customs Site Operator for any Freeport, and received the King's Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2024.

Name

casper shipping

Legal name

Casper Shipping Limited

Website

https://caspershipping.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Casper Shipping is a UK-based, family-owned maritime services group providing port agency, customs clearance, chartering, freight forwarding, defence and renewables logistics across 11 UK sites and Greece, serving shipping companies, charterers, the Royal Navy and industrial clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Port Agency and Logistics Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Provisions, Stores & Bonded Supplies Coordination (TLAHAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF), Breakbulk & Project Cargo Handling (Heavy Lift, Out-of-Gauge Handling) (TLAHALAH)

Keywords

• Port agency services
• Customs clearance
• Maritime logistics
• Freight forwarding
• Vessel chartering

Headquarters

HQ city

Middlesbrough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Port Agency Services: Comprehensive port agency services including tanker agency, dry cargo agency, hub agency, offshore agency, liner agency, and specialist agency. Services are provided at all major UK ports with 24/7 support.
2. Customs Clearance Services: Import and export customs declarations, ENS clearances, freeport operations, and customs consultancy. Services offered from all major UK ports with automated processing capabilities.
3. Vessel Chartering and Broking: Dry cargo chartering services with owned and chartered tonnage. Operating vessels from 1,000 to 12,000 DWT on routes across North Sea, Irish Sea, and Mediterranean.
4. International Freight Forwarding: Award-winning international freight forwarding services including air, sea, road freight, and warehousing through global agency network.
5. Defence Logistics Services: Specialist marine and logistics services to the defence industry including defence hub coordination, logistics solutions, and agency services for naval vessels.
6. Renewables and Special Projects: Marine-related services and supply chain efficiency for renewable energy projects including biomass, onshore and offshore wind farm support, and heavy lift project cargo handling.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Casper Shipping delivers comprehensive maritime services across the UK and internationally through six operating divisions: port agency (tanker, dry cargo, hub, offshore, liner and specialist), customs clearance, defence logistics, international freight forwarding, dry cargo vessel chartering, and renewables/special projects logistics. Services are provided at all major UK ports with 24/7/365 support, underpinned by proprietary Flytta customs automation technology and direct enterprise account management.

Product overview

Casper Shipping is a maritime services organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of shipping solutions under the Casper Group umbrella. The offering operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on six core divisions: Casper Port Agency (tanker, dry cargo, hub, offshore, liner, and specialist agency services handling 2,500+ port movements annually), Casper Customs (customs clearance with Flytta automation technology), Casper Logistics (award-winning international freight forwarding), Casper Chartering (dry cargo solutions with owned CCL fleet of 8 vessels), Casper Defence (specialist naval logistics), and Casper Renewables & Special Projects (renewable energy project logistics). Supporting divisions include Casper Digital (automation solutions), ShipDem (demurrage services), and Casper Hub (husbandry coordination). The group acquired Johnson Partners (project cargo forwarding) in 2024 and operates 11 UK-wide locations with a heritage dating to 1872.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Casper Port Agency
• Casper Customs
• Casper Logistics
• Casper Chartering
• Casper Defence
• Casper Renewables & Special Projects
• ShipDem
• HC Shipping & Chartering
• Johnson Partners
• Flytta Automation System
• Casper Hub

Quantifiable outcome

• 60x faster customs declaration processing (90 minutes to 90 seconds) using Flytta automation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Talking Cancer TeessideminorOthers · 18 February 2025Casper Group partnership as inaugural supporter of Talking Cancer Teesside initiative. Provides emotional and practical support to people in Teesside area living with cancer, their families and caregivers.
• GDL (Global Defence Logistics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with GDL brings together a network of defence logistics providers with proven expertise. Casper Defence works in partnership with GDL providing a premier global defence logistics support service with dedicated single point of contact.
• ASM SequoiacoreTechnology or IntegrationHMRC-trusted software supplier providing customs clearance automation technology. Updated technology created in collaboration with ASM Sequoia enables automated customs clearance with consistent one-hour turnaround.
• Elite ConsultminorOthersSedgefield-based maritime recruitment specialists who sourced new customs staff from local area with no previous customs experience. Staff were trained up to offer 24/7, 365-day customs service.
• Kaizen SafetyminorOthersStockton-based HSE provider partnered with for workplace safety compliance at Casper Customs operations.
• HR AlchemyminorOthersYarm-based HR consultancy partnered with for workforce management and development services.
• High Tide FoundationminorOthersCharitable foundation co-founded by former Casper Group Chairman Kevin Shakesheff. Brings together industry and education across Tees Valley to deliver career opportunities within maritime sector. Michael Shakesheff serves as Trustee.
• PD PortsminorOthersCorporate partner in High Tide Foundation alongside Intelect, Active, Visualsoft and Jacksons Law Firm. Regional industry partnership supporting youth career opportunities.
• Faversham ShipsminorOthersShips agency partner providing support and cooperation for Casper Chartering vessel operations.
• ELITE Global Logistics NetworkminorOthersGlobal logistics network providing worldwide coverage with hundreds of established partner companies for freight forwarding services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• V.Group: Ship management and maritime services group with crewing, technical, and ship agency services. Comparable to Casper in serving ship owners and operators with comprehensive port and vessel support services.
• Spectrum Shipping Services: UK-based ship agency and freight forwarding company serving similar customer segments with comparable port agency, customs, and freight services. Directly comparable mid-sized UK peer with overlapping service offerings.
• John Good Group: UK-based ship agency and freight forwarding group offering port agency, customs clearance, and logistics services. Closely comparable UK-headquartered peer with similar customer base and service portfolio.
• Inchcape Shipping Services: Global ship agency and port services provider offering vessel agency, husbandry, and customs support across major ports. Directly comparable to Casper Port Agency in scope of services and target customer base of ship owners and operators.
• Wilhelmsen Ships Service: Global port services and ship agency provider serving the maritime industry with vessel agency, husbandry, and marine logistics. Comparable to Casper Port Agency's core service portfolio and customer segments.
• GAC Group: Global ship agency, port agency, and logistics provider with worldwide coverage. Directly competes with Casper Port Agency across multiple vessel types and offers similar customs and freight forwarding services.

Broad incumbents

• Kuehne+Nagel: Global freight forwarding and logistics giant with customs brokerage capabilities. Comparable to Casper Logistics and Casper Customs but at vastly greater scale with global network and technology investment capacity.
• Maersk Logistics & Services: Integrated container logistics arm of A.P. Moller-Maersk offering ocean, customs, and supply chain services. Comparable to Casper Logistics' freight forwarding and customs services as part of a much larger end-to-end platform.
• Clarkson PLC: Largest UK-listed shipping services group offering ship broking, port services, and research. Overlaps with Casper's chartering and port agency services but operates at much broader scale with public market access.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Global air, sea, and road freight forwarding division with customs brokerage services. Comparable to Casper Logistics' freight forwarding business but with global network, scale economics, and integrated technology platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/casper-shipping-limited

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries10 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 casper shipping