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OstervaleFreight & Customs

About Ostervale

Ostervale was founded in Toledo in 1994 to clear glass and auto parts across the Ambassador Bridge. Thirty-two years later it is still privately held, still headquartered on Summit Street, and 31% owned by the people who work here.

Founded
1994, Toledo, Ohio
Staff
268 (178 US, 90 Canada)
Offices
11 in two countries
Ownership
Private; 31% employee-owned since 2018
Clients
640 active accounts
Revenue
$148M, FY2025

History

  1. 1994Walt Brenneman opens a two-broker office on Summit Street, Toledo.
  2. 1999Windsor office opens; first Canadian broker licence.
  3. 2004First 12 company tractors run Toledo–Windsor daily.
  4. 2011Toledo bonded warehouse opens with 14 dock doors.
  5. 2015Montréal (Lachine) office opens for Québec clients.
  6. 2018Dana Kowalczyk becomes CEO; employee ownership plan created.
  7. 2019Laredo office opens to serve the southern lane.
  8. 2026Second Windsor dock opens on Walker Road; fleet reaches 184 tractors.

Leadership

  1. Dana Kowalczyk

    President & Chief Executive

    Dana joined as a licensed broker in Windsor and built the Canadian desk from 6 to 58 people before taking over the company in 2018. She still reviews every lost account personally.

    Previously: Ran Canadian brokerage operations, 2009–2017

    Joined
    Since 2003
    Based in
    Toledo

  2. Walt Brenneman

    Founder & Chair

    Walt started Ostervale with two brokers and a fax line on Summit Street. He chairs the board and the credit committee.

    Previously: Customs broker for a Toledo glass maker

    Joined
    Since 1994
    Based in
    Toledo

  3. Rafael Aguirre-Benn

    Chief Financial Officer

    Rafael set up the employee ownership plan in 2018 and owns client billing, duty deferral accounting and the external audit.

    Previously: Controller at an automotive seating supplier

    Joined
    Since 2016
    Based in
    Toledo

  4. Simone Thériault

    Vice President, Canadian Operations

    Simone runs the five Canadian offices and the Windsor sufferance warehouse, and opened the Montréal office in 2015.

    Previously: Port operations manager in Montréal

    Joined
    Since 2009
    Based in
    Mississauga

  5. Gordon Achebe

    Vice President, Fleet & Linehaul

    Gordon runs the 184-tractor fleet and the driver academy, which has trained 212 drivers since 2014.

    Previously: Transportation officer, US Army Reserve

    Joined
    Since 2011
    Based in
    Toledo

  6. Priya Raman

    Director, Trade Compliance

    Priya is licensed in both countries and leads the 14-person compliance group, including drawback and audit support.

    Previously: Trade analyst at a regional law firm

    Joined
    Since 2014
    Based in
    Detroit

Offices

  • Toledo, OH

    Headquarters, brokerage, fleet, bonded warehouse

    1180 Summit Street, Toledo, OH 43604
    (419) 555-0142

    Desk hours: 24/7

  • Detroit, MI

    Brokerage, compliance

    2250 West Fort Street, Detroit, MI 48216
    (313) 555-0118

    Desk hours: 24/7

  • Cleveland, OH

    Brokerage, sales

    640 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44114
    (216) 555-0167

    Desk hours: 07:00–19:00 ET

  • Chicago, IL

    Forwarding, air gateway desk

    1400 Touhy Avenue, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
    (847) 555-0129

    Desk hours: 24/7

  • Buffalo, NY

    Brokerage, Peace Bridge desk

    88 Niagara Street, Buffalo, NY 14202
    (716) 555-0153

    Desk hours: 24/7

  • Windsor, ON

    Brokerage, sufferance warehouse, dispatch

    3900 Walker Road, Windsor, ON N8W 3T5
    (519) 555-0174

    Desk hours: 24/7

  • Sarnia, ON

    Blue Water Bridge desk

    410 Exmouth Street, Sarnia, ON N7T 5P1
    (519) 555-0186

    Desk hours: 24/7

  • Mississauga, ON

    Canadian operations office

    5200 Airport Road, Mississauga, ON L4V 1R2
    (905) 555-0131

    Desk hours: 07:00–19:00 ET

  • Fort Erie, ON

    Peace Bridge desk

    120 Garrison Road, Fort Erie, ON L2A 1M7
    (905) 555-0197

    Desk hours: 24/7

  • Montréal, QC

    Brokerage, LCL consolidation

    2700 Rue Remembrance, Lachine, QC H8S 1X8
    (514) 555-0108

    Desk hours: 05:00–23:00 ET

  • Laredo, TX

    Southern lane brokerage

    9500 Mines Road, Laredo, TX 78045
    (956) 555-0115

    Desk hours: 24/7

Governance

  • A seven-member board meets quarterly, including two independent directors and one director elected by employee owners.
  • Financial statements are audited each year by an independent accounting firm.
  • Customs bonds and cargo insurance certificates are available to clients on request through the client login.

Ostervale Customs Brokerage, LLC: US customs broker licence no. DEMO-24417, national permit DEMO-0372; Canadian customs broker licence DEMO-CB-1186. Ostervale Linehaul, Inc.: USDOT DEMO-993104, MC DEMO-611205. All licence numbers on this site are fictional and shown for demonstration only.

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Prefer to call? New business desk, weekdays 07:30–18:00 ET: (419) 555-0160