Forwarding, Freight News, Logistics


Peters & May expands freight forwarding to US

[ April 2, 2025   //   ]

Southampton-headquartered logistics company Peters & May has expanded its freight forwarding services to the US. Operating from its Fort Lauderdale office in Florida, the company aims to enhance its service offering for freight solutions in the US market and beyond.

Founded over 50 years ago, the company originally has its roots in forwarding but in more recent years specialised in yacht transport and in logistics solutions for boat manufacturers and marine suppliers. While this remains an important part of the business, the company now aims to build on its expertise in the marine supply chain to serve other markets requiring timely and precise deliveries of vital components.

It described expansion of its freight forwarding services to the US as the next step in its global growth strategy, complementing its existing freight forwarding services in the UK, Netherlands, Spain, and Italy.

Global head of forwarding, Paul Everley, said: “As demand for our services continues to grow, particularly in the UK and across international markets, this development allows us to better support our clients with enhanced logistics capabilities and local expertise.”

Florida is home to one of the largest marine industries in the world, making it a strategic location for the company. However, it has ambitions to grow in many other sectors. Everley explained: “We can support many other supply chains, not exclusively the marine sector.”

He envisaged that Peters & May’s market would be industries requiring time-sensitive deliveries of items such as spare parts. This could include the medical sector, wind farm operators or aerospace, for example. Likely users would be in industries which – like marine – had large supply chains requiring a high level of logistical support, backed up Peter & may’s dedicated customs team.

The aim was not to be the biggest forwarder, but provide support for clients that needed to move goods against strict deadline, while offering cost-effective but appropriate solutions. Peters & May clients depended on forwarders being able to give timely, transparent and realistic estimates of delivery times, allowing them to plan operations such as repairs effectively.

Some customers, such as those involved in environmental monitoring, required items to be delivered to remote locations. Others may have teams of engineers on stand-by, awaiting spares in order to complete repairs.

Being based in Southampton, Peters & May is steeped in the maritime industry and has huge knowledge of shipping, Everley added. It charters heavylift vessels for its yacht transport business, for example, and it is also IATA-licenced in the UK.

The new Fort Lauderdale office, headed by US forwarding general manager Rasmus Ollgaard will have a forwarding staff of seven, initially, but there are plans to expand this in the near future.

He said: “The marine market in Florida is vast, and our presence here enables us to provide tailored logistics solutions to a wider range of clients. By offering freight forwarding services from our Fort Lauderdale office, we are not only strengthening our service offerings but also reinforcing our commitment to the industry and its evolving logistics needs – all through the personalized service our clients have come to expect.”

In the UK, the company employs 16 forwarding staff, in addition to those involved in marine activity, along with five each in Italy and Spain and six in the Netherlands.

It also maintains a network of smaller satellite offices in other parts of the world, such as Asia. There is also a courier division for urgent items.

The company has also invested in an online cargo tracking platform, providing clients with real-time visibility of shipments.

Paul Everley concluded: “These are exciting times for the company. We’ve evolved significantly in a short space of time, thanks to the efforts of the teams we have in place.”

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