Our rich history began in Cleveland, Ohio during the height of the industrial transformation. In 1883, James Pickands, Samuel Mather, and Jay C. Morse worked together in mining and moving iron ore to support the booming steel industry.

The business grew into a widespread operation, as our founders entered the vessel business and formed what would become the Interlake Steamship Company. Along the way, Pickands Mather’s mining interests grew, and we acquired interests in blast furnaces. Our predecessors learned firsthand the importance of leveraging the benefits of multi-modal transportation instead of relying on just one or two modes to move product.

Having Interlake Steamship Company in the portfolio gave Pickands Mather one of the largest shipping fleets on the Great Lakes. In 1987, the Interlake Steamship Company became a privately held company while what remained of Pickands Mather went under the stewardship of Cleveland Cliffs, until being sold in 1992. For over 30 years, we’ve flourished as a private-held company, embodying both our history and bright future as innovators and trusted advisors.

Headquartered near Lake Erie in Kirtland, Ohio, our history runs deep. There have been many iterations of the Pickands Mather Group over the decades, however, we remain steadfast to our values as a full-service logistics partner to our clients.