About Us

William A. McGinty Co., a Chicago Import-Exporter with 60 years of experience, holds a corporate Customs Brokerage license and has five additional licensed employees.

staff holiday photo of William A. McGinty Co. team

Making History Since 1961

William A. McGinty Co. was established in 1961, and has over 60 years of experience in serving the International Trade Community. Our company holds one corporate Customs Brokerage license (which Mr. McGinty earned in 1959); and five additional individual licensed employees. This is a license issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury, and is a challenge to attain. Several of our conscientious employees continue to work diligently to pass the government requirements to increase these credentials.

William A. McGinty – Founder and Past President

Mr. McGinty (photo), together with his wife Ann, co-founded the company in 1961. He was a dedicated man; to his family, to his customers and to his company. He was well respected within the Customs Brokerage community. He built this company from the ground up. In 1989, Mr. McGinty retired and handed the reigns over to Theodore L. Estrup III who he had mentored from the very early stages of the company. Mr. McGinty has since passed; but his strong sense of loyalty, commitment, integrity, and dedication to work ethic still exist today in the Company he and his wife began together. He is remembered with great fondness.

Theodore L. Estrup III – Past President

Ted (photo), started at William A. McGinty Co. in 1964. He was strongly mentored by Mr. McGinty and they quickly became close friends. So close that Ted asked Bill and Ann to be Alice Marie’s (Ted’s first daughter) godparents. Ted continued to help build the company with Bill and became General Manager and eventually Vice President of the firm. In 1989, when Mr. McGinty was ready to retire to Florida, Ted became President of the corporation. He continued to run it for the next 20 years and committed himself to the continuation of this historic company. Ted was very loyal to his employees always treating them like family and therefore, they loyal to him. Because of Ted, William A. McGinty Co. was able to maintain clients for 30, 40 and even 50 years, some of which are still valued customers today. Ted passed away in December 2009….another man that is missed and remembered with great love and admiration.

Why Us

Family Owned

William A. McGinty Co. has been a family owned business since 1961. We not only consider our team to be family but we treat our customers like family as well. We believe this is why we essentially have zero employee turn-over. What this means to you, our client, is that the people you deal with today will be the same people you will be dealing with tomorrow. It also means our staff gets to know you, your products, your business, as well as your wants and needs so that they can provide a better quality of service specific to you. Please give us a call at (847) 427-0980 and get to know us.

Experienced

William A. McGinty Co. prides itself on hiring only the best. Our staff of eight people consists of five licensed Customs Brokers. Combined, the five licensed brokers have over 150 years in the industry. Our three non-licensed staff members have over 65 years of experience in our industry and continue to work diligently to obtain their Customs Brokers license. Our experience will give you the confidence and peace of mind that the job will get done correctly. This is what we do; let us get it done for you!

Integrity

Mr. McGinty stated over 50 years ago that our success and growth were due to “the result of hard work, integrity, and understanding the customer’s point of view!” Integrity was the foundation of William A. McGinty Co. and continues to be so today. We are a very proud, loyal, and honest company. While Mr. McGinty has since passed, we continue to demonstrate these qualities daily, through our business interactions. Let us be an integral part of your team!

Flexibility

At William A. McGinty Co., you will receive the utmost personal attention on a day to day basis. We recognize that every client needs something different from us. Some desire daily updates while others just want their cargo delivered on time. There is no cookie-cutter system in place at our office. We will brainstorm with our clients to determine the best procedure possible for their individual needs and will then PERFORM accordingly. Let us prove our performance to you!

Our Affiliations - Certifications

William A. McGinty Co. is a member and participating company in the important associations and regulatory organizations in our industry. The list below identifies several of the key affiliations as well as certifications achieved. Click on the name to visit the official website of each.

Testimonials

We measure our performance based on how we meet the needs and expectations of our customers. Learn what our customers are saying about us, shown below and on our Testimonials Page.

Roberto A. – Warehouse Manager - Bearings

“William A McGinty Co. has been (our) broker for over 50 years. They have been and are one of our most key partners. Their knowledge and experience on any customs related issue makes them invaluable. They are vital to (our) daily operations.“

Kellye R. – Logistics Manager – Plastic Film

“We have worked with Wm. A. McGinty Co. for several years and, in doing so, have found moving our shipments to be a much better experience as they are always willing to jump in on all types of situation we run into as an importer.“

Martin P. – Owner – Children’s Safety Products

“Customs brokerage and freight forwarding are like any other business – it is a service and like any other service we have expectations….over the past 10+ years we have been extremely pleased and appreciative of services provided to us by Wm A. McGinty Co.”

Gayle A. – Dir. Of Int’l Purchasing - Fragrance Packaging

"I am the Director of International Purchasing for a private label fragrance company, and we import components from the EU and Asia. I have worked with Tom and his team at Wm. A McGinty Co. for over 10 years. I highly recommend Wm. A. McGinty Co. because of their expertise, service, reasonable costs and impressive problem solving capabilities. The team is also a kind and friendly group who make dealing with logistics a true pleasure."