Our History

The founding member of Cole International – Cole McCubbin Limited – began its primary activity of customs brokerage in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and area. The company grew by establishing branch offices and acquiring companies that complemented its core service offerings. Another key component that was considered in all acquisitions was the significant experience and quality of the employees that came with every acquisition. The result: the emergence of one of Canada's largest privately owned customs brokerage companies.

Cole McCubbin opened a warehouse operation in Thunder Bay. Soon afterward, it launched a local cartage operation to service warehouse operations. This operation evolved over time to handle international air and ocean freight. A 1985 acquisition brought with it an international airfreight agency, which prompted Cole McCubbin to establish a freight forwarding division: Cole Freight Inc., which expanded to include project forwarding, air and ocean charter, logistics planning and transportation consulting.

Cole McCubbin Limited acquired Lawrence Customs Brokerage, who had been operating in Western Canada since the mid 1950's.

The company then began operation as a single unified brokerage under the name Cole International Inc. with offices from Vancouver to St. John's. To satisfy the specialized transportation requirements of companies involved in burgeoning trade with Pacific Rim countries, Abco International Freight was established in 1993. Operating with the support of the Cole International infrastructure, Abco focused almost wholly on the Far East market until recently, when the company began to broaden its global sphere of operations.

Abco established Abco International Freight (USA), which now has an office in Los Angeles.

Cole International responded to its clients' expanding needs by establishing Cancon Logistics Inc., a subsidiary that provides warehousing, distribution and domestic transportation services, then in 2006, Cole International USA Inc. was also established.

To help reflect the company's internal unity to external audiences, the company amalgamated all of its component companies (save for Abco Freight International) under a single identity – Cole International.

Cole International USA acquired a company with offices in Buffalo, New York, and Detroit, Michigan, to further expand its presence along the U.S. Northern border.

The company strategically acquired a company in Houston, Texas – the gateway to Mexico. This acquisition supports Cole International’s oil and gas clients that rely on this important cargo gateway to move their goods between Mexico and the U.S.