With an established reputation in international trade and logistics, the story of PF Collins dates back well over a century. The long-time family business started as a dry goods store and later evolved into a customs and trade brokerage agency in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Now operated by the fourth generation, PF Collins has offices in St. John’s and Halifax, supporting clients across the globe.

Early days

Patrick Francis Collins was a clothing wholesaler, and in April 1908, he decided to open a dry goods store on Water Street in the heart of downtown St. John’s, N.L. The completion of the province’s railway system provided him with a consistent means of shipping goods locally and to remote communities across Newfoundland. In an advertisement for his mail-order catalogue in 1909, Collins promoted his reliable delivery times and low prices.

After a few years in business, Collins’ store burned down, and he pursued a new career path as a customs and trade agent. In 1921, the government of N.L. approved his license as a customs broker, and he established an office on Duckworth Street. This was the beginning of PF Collins as many know it today.

Growing expertise

With St. John’s being the prime location for marine shipments to Newfoundland, Collins was perfectly located to manage imports and transport goods throughout the province. His son Bernard Collins joined the family business in 1935, and PF Collins’ office was relocated to King’s Road. Together, they navigated governmental changes that affected tariffs and rules of trade by staying up-to-date on all regulations, and utilized their knowledge to expand the business.

Bernard officially took over ownership and management of PF Collins in 1953. In the ‘70s, his son Bernard (Tanny) Collins entered the family trade and led PF Collins’ involvement in N.L.’s offshore oil and gas industry. Warehousing was another growing part of the business. Having started with only 1,000 square feet, PF Collins moved and expanded its space throughout the decades and now has a 34,000-square-foot warehouse on East White Hills Road.

Tanny Collins followed in his father’s footsteps and assumed ownership of the family business in 1981. He continued to expand PF Collins’ service offerings, especially related to offshore oil and gas. The company has been involved in every major offshore development in Atlantic Canada, and opened an office in Halifax, N.S., in 2002 to support these operations.

Still in the family

Today, PF Collins is a fourth-generation family business, with Tanny’s son Raymond serving as president since 2013. PF Collins’ service offerings include customs brokerage and consulting, freight forwarding and expediting, warehousing, immigration consulting, marine agency and project logistics for a variety of industries. With offices in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, PF Collins supports clients across the world, building on more than a century of family-led service.

Note: A representative of PF Collins was unavailable for an interview; the above article is based on third-party research.

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