Redwood Logistics has acquired EELCO, a customs brokerage and warehousing company based in Laredo, Texas, in a move aimed at strengthening Redwood’s cross-border logistics capabilities at a time of growing trade complexity between the United States and Mexico.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. But the strategic rationale is clear: nearshoring, shifting tariff policies and stricter trade compliance rules are forcing companies to rethink how they manage supply chains across the southern border.
Jordan Dewart, president of Redwood Mexico, said Redwood had already built a strong cross-border presence over the past eight years, but customs brokerage services had been handled through external partners. As customs compliance became more demanding, customers increasingly wanted Redwood to take direct control of that function rather than subcontract it.
That search for a partner led to EELCO, which Redwood viewed as a strong fit in terms of service capability and brand alignment.
The acquisition adds licensed customs brokerage, Foreign Trade Zone warehousing and decades of operational expertise to Redwood Mexico, the company’s cross-border shipping arm. EELCO has worked in customs and logistics along the southern border for more than 30 years and operates a 250,000-square-foot warehouse and FTZ facility in Laredo, one of North America’s busiest trade gateways.
Dewart said EELCO’s ability to manage customs brokerage on both sides of the border was one of the key reasons behind the deal. The company’s services span US and Mexican customs procedures, as well as compliance and consulting support, giving Redwood a more integrated platform for customers moving freight between the two countries.
Redwood Mexico currently handles more than 40,000 annual shipments across the US-Mexico border through a network of more than 300 carrier partners.
Founded in 1991 by Eduardo Lozano, EELCO has grown into a major customs brokerage and logistics business serving manufacturers and importers active in bilateral trade. In 2023, the company processed more than 114,000 customs transactions. It also recently expanded with a new warehouse operation in north Laredo featuring 47 dock doors, four ramp doors, 247 trailer spaces and more than 40,000 square feet designated for FTZ warehousing.
Dewart said the scale and location of the Laredo facility were major attractions, especially for warehousing and cross-dock operations. Its position near Interstate 35 and the World Trade Bridge offers direct advantages for cross-border freight flows.
Lozano and his wife, Marta Patricia Lozano, are expected to remain involved in the business. Lozano said the deal will allow EELCO to expand its capabilities while preserving the specialised expertise and customer relationships it has built over three decades. He said the company’s deep experience at the port will not disappear under new ownership, but will instead be amplified through Redwood’s broader technology and infrastructure.
Redwood also stressed that maintaining EELCO’s long-established customer relationships was a priority. According to Dewart, existing customers have been clear that they do not want those service dynamics disrupted.
The acquisition comes as customs brokerage takes on a more strategic role. Dewart said many shippers once treated customs processes as routine administration, but tariffs and shifting trade rules have pushed companies to pay much closer attention to brokerage relationships and compliance strategies. Requirements linked to agreements such as the USMCA have only increased the importance of specialist expertise.
Redwood also sees a more positive market outlook ahead. Dewart said the company is beginning to see tighter equipment availability and rising transport rates in Mexico as manufacturing investment and cross-border demand gain momentum. He added that this is the most optimistic Redwood has felt about the Mexico cross-border freight market in the last two years, with nearshoring continuing to pull supply chains toward North America.
