Established Customs Brokerage & Trade Logistics Company, 60-Year Pacific Northwest Firm

$894K

Revenue

$527K

SDE

2.8x

Multiple

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Full Editorial Writeup

This is a 60-plus year old customs brokerage and trade services firm based in the Pacific Northwest. The company handles import processing, customs clearance, documentation, compliance, and related trade services for a diversified base of commercial clients across multiple industries. Customs brokerage is a licensed, regulated function: importers legally must clear goods through a licensed broker, which makes this a sticky, compliance-driven service rather than a discretionary one.

The economics here are the headline. On an average of $894,000 in revenue the business throws off $527,000 in cash flow, a roughly 59 percent owner-earnings margin. That is exceptional for a services business and reflects a genuinely lean cost structure: limited equipment, a small experienced team, technology-supported processes, and the ability to run remotely. At a $1,479,500 asking price and 2.81x cash flow, the buyer is paying a low multiple for a durable, high-margin annuity with six decades of goodwill behind it.

The ideal buyer is either an individual with the relevant customs broker licensing and industry qualifications, or a strategic acquirer (an existing brokerage, freight forwarder, or logistics firm) looking to add volume and relationships. The retirement-driven sale and the sellers' stated commitment to transition support make this a clean handoff, with the main gating item being the licensing qualification a new owner must carry or employ.

Why we like it

Earnings quality is outstanding: $527,000 of cash flow on $894,000 of revenue is a 59 percent owner-earnings margin, with figures described as a three-year average rather than a single cherry-picked peak year. The listing also notes continued strong performance into 2026, which suggests the margin profile is structural and not a one-time blip.
The moat is regulatory and relationship-driven. Importers are legally required to clear goods through a licensed customs broker, and this firm has 60-plus years of longstanding client relationships across diverse commercial industries. That licensing barrier plus decades of switching-cost inertia makes the revenue base far more defensible than a typical small services firm.
Trade flows and compliance complexity are secular tailwinds. Tariff volatility, shifting trade policy, and tightening import documentation requirements all increase demand for expert customs clearance, meaning the service becomes more valuable in exactly the environments that scare discretionary businesses.
The cost structure gives an operator real leverage. Lean headcount, minimal equipment, leased space, and remote-capable processes mean a buyer is acquiring a people-and-process asset, not a capital sink. An acquirer with existing logistics volume or a licensed individual can bolt on growth without adding much fixed cost.

How to improve it

Audit client concentration and immediately shore up the top accounts with multi-year service agreements or SLAs. A firm this old likely has a handful of anchor importers, and locking those relationships contractually protects the cash flow and de-risks the transition in the first 90 days.
Pursue the referral and partnership channel the listing flags. Freight forwarders, 3PLs, and trade attorneys all touch importers who need a broker, so formalizing reciprocal referral relationships is a low-cost way to feed the existing infrastructure with new volume.
Package and productize ancillary compliance services such as duty drawback recovery, tariff classification reviews, and import audit support. These are high-value advisory add-ons the existing client base already needs, and they expand revenue per account without new customer acquisition.
Leverage the stated remote and nationwide capability to sell outside the Pacific Northwest. The business already supports clients beyond its home market, so a targeted digital and outbound effort into import-heavy regions can grow the book without opening physical offices.
Document the licensing and knowledge base before the sellers leave. Codifying classification rules, client-specific procedures, and regulatory workflows into standard operating procedures protects the moat and reduces key-person risk as the founding operators retire.
Introduce modern brokerage technology and automation to lift throughput per employee. Automating documentation, entry filing, and status tracking lets the current lean team handle more volume at the same cost, directly expanding the already strong margin.

Diligence notes

Confirm the customs broker license structure and who holds it. The license is the regulatory moat and the single biggest transfer risk, so verify whether the entity holds a corporate license, which individuals are qualified, and whether the buyer must obtain or employ a licensed broker to operate legally post-close.
Stress-test client concentration and tenure. Request a revenue-by-client breakdown for the last three years to confirm the diversity the listing claims, and quantify what percentage of revenue sits with the top five accounts and how durable those relationships are after the sellers exit.
Reconcile the three-year average financials to actuals and verify the 2026 performance claim. Ask for tax returns and monthly P&Ls to confirm the $894,000 revenue and $527,000 cash flow, and understand exactly which owner add-backs are included in the SDE figure.
Quantify owner dependency and team continuity. Determine how much of the client relationship and technical compliance work runs through the retiring sellers versus the experienced team, and whether key staff will remain, since a people-driven brokerage can lose value fast if the bench walks.
Review the technology and data systems. Understand the brokerage software in use, licensing and renewal costs, cybersecurity posture around sensitive import data, and whether the systems support the remote and nationwide expansion the growth thesis depends on.
Check regulatory and compliance history. Request records of any CBP penalties, failed audits, or bond claims, because compliance failures in customs brokerage carry financial and license-threatening consequences that could impair the core asset.

Source

Originally listed on BizBuySell. View original listing →