Who we are | Charles Kendall

The Company

We take great pride in being a people business concentrating on the exact needs of our customers and tailoring a service to suit them.

Whilst the technology and scale of our business may have changed, our principles have never wavered. We’re transparent, dependable and environmentally responsible. We believe in lasting partnerships, founded on a shared commitment to quality, value and service. That’s why we still work for our very first client, 75 years on. This is why so many of our own people stay with us for years, or decades, continually deepening our experience and expertise. Partnership means we succeed by helping you succeed. Whatever the size of your business, you can depend on us for a proactive, creative approach, and the same dedication to quality that has drives our business forward.

Our Leadership team

Our people have decades of experience in the supply chain industry.

Mark Kendall

Chairman

Mark spent four years as a commissioned officer in the British Army before joining the family company in 1998 as a buyer. He went on to become Procurement Manager and Procurement Director, managing all our procurement work, both in the UK and in our network of overseas offices. Mark became Chairman of the Group in 2016 in succession of his late father, John Kendall.

Our Timeline

A brief summary of our history and the events that shaped us as a company

1945 The original business, Charles Kendall & Partners, was formed in December 1945 by Charles Kendall, a former Army Officer.

1949 In the late 1940s, we were appointed as procurement agents for Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and the Sultanate of Oman.

1954 Until 1954, the company employed independent freight agents to handle its Middle Eastern exports.

1969 The mid to late ’60s saw us acquire two further packing businesses, and in 1969 we brought all these related companies together.

1970 We continued to expand our freight capabilities through acquisitions of a growing number of established freight and logistics companies.

1982 In 1982, we combined our various transportation businesses together to form Charles Kendall Freight.

1991 In 1991, we bought the packing company, Bestworld Packing (Charles Kendall Packing since 2010) – specialists in out-of-gauge .

1997 In 1997, having invested in building a team of development aid experts, we were appointed to five core country contracts for the UK DFID.

1998 In 1998, Charles Kendall Freight became a founding member of the WCA (World Cargo Alliance), the world’s largest and most powerful.

2004 Charles Kendall Freight started operation in China opening their first office in Shanghai.

2006 Awarded Millennium Challenge Corporation Procurement and Fiscal Agent contract with procurement spend of USD540 million.

2010 2010 heralded a new unified corporate identity for the group with a major rebranding exercise to the logo you see today.

2013 First major Middle East acquisition with the addition of Ayezan E-Gistics LLC to the Freight division under new brand name CKFISL.

2017 A 45,000 sq. ft. facility in Southampton, joint Venture for both Freight and Packing to offer further services in the south of the UK.

2022 Charles Kendall opened a 100,000 sq. ft facility in Coalville (the golden triangle) their largest facility in the UK.

2024 In October, 2024 Charles Kendall Freight started its operations in Ha Noi, Vietnam.