Glen Burnie, Md. (2nd draft, 10/3/07) – John S. Connor, Inc., a full service logistics company based in Glen Burnie, Md., is celebrating its 90th year in business. “The firm was founded in 1917 by my grandfather,” stated Lee Connor, president.
John S. Connor worked for a steamship company in Baltimore and got his custom’s brokerage license in 1916. In 1917 he borrowed $100 from his mother, who was an Irish immigrant, and started his own customs brokerage and freight forwarding business.
Connor established the firm on the third floor of the Marine Bank Building on Gay Street, across the street from the U.S. Customs House, where it remained nearly 80 years, until 1996 when it relocated to the World Trade Center in Baltimore. In 2003, that building was closed temporarily due to damage from Hurricane Isabelle, and the company moved into temporary quarters, where they remained until they established new headquarters offices in 2004 in Glen Burnie, Maryland.
John S. Connor started the company as a sole proprietor, and his brother Walter joined him the following year. Soon after, they added a few more employees. The company struggled during the Great Depression years of the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, but managed to keep the company going. In 1940 John died at the age of 49, leaving 10 children.
Walter took over the running of the business, and during the Second World War, the company started working with the War Shipping Administration, and handled a lot of forwarding for government relief and Lend Lease shipments moving through the Port of Baltimore. At this point the company had 13 employees, and one of John Connor’s sons, Charles, joined the business. By 1950 the company grew to 28 employees.
Walter Connor died in 1961 and Charles became CEO. The firm had its greatest growth period during the 1960’s and 1970’s with the arrival of a new development in shipping – containerization. During this time the company also developed subsidiary companies, including a bonded stores business, Connor Trading, which supplied ships and embassies with cigarettes and alcohol.
Also during the 1970’s the firm started an air freight division at Baltimore-Washington Airport, and added specialized services such as heavy-lift project vessels and deep sea salvage and towing. In 1982 the company opened an office in Norfolk, and the business now employed 120 people. It was also the year Charles Connor died, and his brother Paul became CEO, who ran the business until 1991 when he retired.
Paul was succeeded by the current CEO, Lee Connor, grandson of the founder John S. Connor, at a time when the firm was emerging into the NVOCC business. Lee has been instrumental in expanding the company by opening branch offices, adding an IT department, increasing the sales staff and enhancing services to customers. In 2003, the firm opened an office in Louisville, Kentucky to better serve a strong customer base in the region, including the liquor industry.
In 2006, John S. Connor opened an office in Shanghai in order to establish stronger trade between China and the east coast of the United States. Earlier this year, the firm formed a strategic alliance with Orient Star Group to exclusively offer Less-than-Container Load (LCL) inbound service from Shanghai direct to the Port of Baltimore.
Lee, who has a law degree from the University of Baltimore, said his goals are to continue the growth of the company’s infrastructure, and to continue to expand the company.
John S. Connor, Inc. is a leading provider of ocean freight and air freight, customs brokerage, domestic transportation, and steamship agency services. Connor has a vast network of agents worldwide, and is a licensed NVOCC. The company’s website address is: www.jsconnor.com.