We are thrilled to share that our freight forwarding division, Welke Global, has been deemed one of Canada’s Top Growing Companies! As we celebrate the growth and success of our freight forwarding service, we wanted to take the opportunity to share a little more about our company and how we got to where we are today.
A family customs brokerage business
Welke was founded by Rolf Welke and his son, Bernard Welke, in 1985. The company was started with one vision and one goal: to offer a highly personalized service to Canadian importers while creating an empowering and fun environment for themselves and their team members to work in. Shortly after, Rolf’s other son, Peter Welke, joined the company, bringing his invaluable freight forwarding experience with him and opening the second division of the company “Welke Global Logistics”. Over the years, the family business diversified its skills, moving into all commodity areas: clothing, food, automotive, manufacturing and live animals.
The growth of the company includes acquiring multiple customs brokerages, opening Welke USA, becoming PIP and CTPAT certified, joining the CSCB and the CIFFA. In recent years, Bernard’s son, Jordan Welke, and Peter’s stepson, Derek Johnson have taken leadership positions in the company, which has resulted in significant growth. Most recently, Welke has rebranded the three separate companies to be called Welke Customs & Logistics and has joined the IFLN network to strengthen its global agent network.
35+ years later, the family business continues to carry out the original vision of offering a highly personalized service to Canadian and U.S. importers while creating an empowering work environment for their talented team members.
The three divisions of Welke Customs & Logistics
As a full-service customs and logistics company, we proudly offer three separate divisions and services. Our American division, Welke Customs Brokers USA, covers all customs and freight needs for our US clients. Our Canadian division, Welke Customs Brokers Ltd., covers customs and logistics needs for our Canadian customers. And finally our freight forwarding division, Welke Global, focuses on providing freight forwarding services to existing and new Welke clients.
We’re proud to offer three separate divisions of Welke, allowing our clients to use the same provider for every customs and freight need.
Our trade technology and resources
Providing our clients with a full-service business has been our mission for 35+ years. In addition to our robust offerings, our team continues to work towards providing our clients with important freight technology. Our Shipment Tracker launched in the spring of 2023 and allows both Welke clients and non-Welke clients to track their shipments from one portal. Using this platform, you can track all of your air, ocean, and courier shipments around the world in real-time.
Looking forward
Stay tuned for more exciting updates as we strive to redefine the customs brokerage and freight forwarding industry, one shipment at a time. We couldn’t be more proud to be one of the Fastest Growing Companies in Canada, and we are looking forward to continuing to provide our clients with an incomparable customs and freight experience.