Our History

How Our Journey Began

When working for one of the largest international freight forwarders in the industry, Goetz Steinmetz immigrated to the U.S. from Germany in order to open a branch office in Charlotte, NC for his employer. With a desire to be more client-focused and spend more time with his family, he thought starting his own company and being his own boss would allow him to do both.

Goetz formed Cargo Brokers International, Inc. in 1982 and discovered he was right: he ate dinner with his family every night and the business thrived under the philosophies of great service and doing right by others. Cargo Brokers continues under those same philosophies today.

The Atlanta-based business grew to open offices in Charlotte and Miami, staying in the Southeast so Goetz could maintain his work-life balance. Always wanting to provide the best service to his clients and partners, Goetz invested in the first electronic communication available to the industry in 1989, and that desire to innovate remains a part of Cargo Brokers. While many are just beginning their digital transformations, the company completed theirs long ago and now works on perfecting and evolving it.

As a family business, Goetz’s wife Doris and their two children, Carsten and Nicole Steinmetz, played important roles in the success of Cargo Brokers. Initially Doris was the original accounting and IT departments, managing the finances and working with her children on computer acquisitions when Cargo Brokers embraced automation in the early 80s. With both Carsten and Nicole having education and experience in computers and networking, they’ve used their skills to encourage the company to continue embracing new technology over the years.

In 2009, Goetz handed the reins of Cargo Brokers to Carsten. While daughter Nicole also held positions outside the company, she returned to take on the position of COO in 2014 and now oversees much of the day-to-day operations of Cargo Brokers.

Meet Our Management Team