What Can Green Do for You?

In the shadow of the financial crisis of 2008, four visionary professionals in the shipping space came together to solve a growing problem. As companies moved further away from the core principles that have long driven viability in the industry, they saw a need for an international logistics company that focused on relationships, ethics, old-school freight forwarding, a passion for taking care of the customer and respecting the environment. With those ideals firmly entrenched, Thomas Jorgensen, Peter Aaro-Hansen, Edward Chambers and Rex Sherman officially launched Green Worldwide Shipping.

Decatur was the launching pad for the new venture, but success rapidly expanded a footprint that now covers nine major commercial centers across the country. This also ballooned a starting staff of just five people to over 140 employees, leading Green Worldwide Shipping to be recognized as one of the top 40 fastest-growing middle-market companies by the Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth.

“Access to talent, a diverse economy, and an internationally connected transportation network made Atlanta the right location for our East Coast headquarters,” said Thomas Jorgensen, Green Worldwide Shipping president and CEO. "Once we settled on the metro area, selecting Decatur was a logical choice because of its central location and the ethos of Decatur, which is consistent with the core principles of our business."

While many companies simply put “green” in their names to imply social responsibility, Green Worldwide Shipping has made environmental friendliness a core tenant of its business. Recognizing the transportation industry is a leading contributor of carbon emissions, the leadership team at Green Worldwide Shipping implemented operational and technological strategies to curb and reduce its environmental impact.

In 2019, the company took an even bigger leap, establishing a radical new initiative to plant a tree for every Green Worldwide Shipping customer and every individual shipment. In less than a year, this campaign has led to the donation of over 100,000 trees, sequestering over 1,569 metric tons of carbon and adding over 11,793 metric tons of oxygen back into the environment. 

“We are incredibly proud of our record on corporate responsibility and the ways we continue to practice what we preach,” added Jorgensen. “Specifically, we support the ‘10 Principles of Global Compact’ from the United Nations in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption, and our team takes tremendous pride in the ways we incorporate these into the work we do every day.”