COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 541614

Process, Physical Distribution, and Logistics Consulting

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

26companies1840–2001founding years26still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedDanzas Group
1840
FoundedKvaerner ASA
1853
FoundedExel plc
1865
FoundedKuehne & Nagel International AG
1890
FoundedStinnes AG
1902
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedGeodis S.A.
1925
FoundedSerco Group plc
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedSociété Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne S.A.
1948
FoundedIsrael Aircraft Industries Ltd.
1953
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedSiemens AG
1966
FoundedRoland Berger & Partner GmbH
1967
FoundedNeptune Orient Lines Limited
1968
FoundedPilot Air Freight Corp.
1970
FoundedHub Group, Inc.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedTransport Corporation of America, Inc.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedLa Poste
1990
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedSwissport International Ltd.
1996
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedRoyal Vopak NV
1999
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Danzas Group →
Active · founded 1840 · Switzerland
Danzas Group is one of Europe's leading logistics groups, the European leader in overland freight-forwarding and…
Kvaerner ASA →
Active · founded 1853 · England
Long known as the largest shipbuilder in Europe, Anglo-Norwegian Kvaerner ASA is redefining itself around three core…
Exel plc →
Active · founded 1865 · United Kingdom
Exel plc was formed from the 2000 merger of Ocean Group plc and NFC plc.
Christian Salvesen Plc →
Active · founded 1872 · United Kingdom
Once known for its whaling fleet, Christian Salvesen Plc has recreated itself as a major European logistics company for…
Kuehne & Nagel International AG →
Active · founded 1890 · Switzerland
Kuehne & Nagel International AG (KN) operates as a leading transport and logistics concern with more than 600 locations…
Stinnes AG →
Active · founded 1902 · Germany
Following its acquisition in 2002 by rail operator Deutsche Bahn AG, Stinnes AG has been repositioned as the lead…
C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. →
Active · founded 1905
Early 1940s:Company is divided in two, with one company owned by its employees and the other owned by Nash Finch.
Geodis S.A. →
Active · founded 1925 · France
Geodis S.A.
Serco Group plc →
Active · founded 1929 · United Kingdom
Serco Group plc provides facilities management and other engineering services for a variety of governmental and…
Nippon Express Company, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1937 · Japan
Nippon Express Company, Ltd., is one of Japan's largest transportation companies, with nearly 1,170 service centers in…
Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne S.A. →
Active · founded 1948 · Luxembourg
Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne S.A.
Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd. →
Active · founded 1953 · Israel
Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd.
CACI International Inc. →
Active · founded 1962
CACI International Inc.
Siemens AG →
Active · founded 1966 · Germany
Founded to manufacture and install telegraphic systems, Germany-based Siemens AG has prospered and grown over 155 years…
Roland Berger & Partner GmbH →
Active · founded 1967 · Germany
German-based Roland Berger & Partner GmbH is among the leading management consulting firms in Europe.
Neptune Orient Lines Limited →
Active · founded 1968 · 119962 Singapore
Neptune Orient Lines Limited (NOL, or NOL Group) ranks among the world's top five shipping companies and is the largest…
DHL Worldwide Network S.A./N.V. →
Active · founded 1969 · Belgium
DHL Worldwide Network S.A./N.V., wholly owned by Deutsche Post AG (the German post office) since December 2002, is the…
Pilot Air Freight Corp. →
Active · founded 1970
Pilot Air Freight Corp.
Hub Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1971
Hub Group, Inc.
Kroll Inc. →
Active · founded 1972
Long considered one of the business world's best kept secrets, Kroll Inc.
Transport Corporation of America, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Transport America, legally named Transport Corporation of America, Inc., is a trucking firm headquartered in Eagan,…
La Poste →
Active · founded 1990 · France
1597: Relais de louage, a stagecoach service intended for private use, is created by royal edict.
Velocity Express Corporation →
Active · founded 1993
Velocity Express Corporation is one of the largest providers of same-day delivery and distribution/logistics services…
Swissport International Ltd. →
Active · founded 1996 · Switzerland
Swissport International Ltd.
Royal Vopak NV →
Active · founded 1999 · The Netherlands
Created from the merger of Dutch logistics specialists Van Ommeren and Pakhoed NV in 1999, Royal Vopak NV is the…
Wincanton plc →
Active · founded 2001 · United Kingdom
Wincanton plc is one of the United Kingdom's leading logistics companies focused on three core markets: warehousing,…
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