J. & J. Denholm Limited was founded in 1866 as a Ship Agency, buying its first vessel, the schooner 'David Sinclair' in 1873. From these beginnings grew a substantial Ship Owning Business. Reduced to just two ships when hostilities ended in 1945, the business was re-built through a number of joint venture companies for which Denholm provided ship management.

Success in marine services prompted J. & J. Denholm to build a range of service businesses around the ship-to-shore interface. Foremost among these services was the ship management business. In 2003 this was merged into Anglo Eastern Management Group, which is one of the world’s leading ship managers and in which the Group is a major shareholder.

Ship agency and related services around cargo were prime areas for expansion. Through a series of acquisitions today’s Denholm Logistics, with operations in the field of Freight Forwarding, Warehousing and Distribution, Inland Transport and of course Ship Agency, was built.

In 1986 J.& J.Denholm diversified by buying a company involved in fish catching and fish processing. Since its acquisition, continued investment has made Denholm Seafoods a major UK seafoods business.

In the early 1990's an opportunity was identified to develop an industrial services business based around fabric maintenance. Through a combination of acquisitions and organic growth the fabric maintenance was built up under the brand of Denholm Industrial Services around the UK defence industry, UK infrastructure project and the international oil and gas industry. In 2005 in order to improve focus the business was split in two and Denholm Oilfield Services was born as a business serving the International Oil & Gas business.

Today the Denholm Group employs more than 3,000 people worldwide, with offices throughout the UK and in key locations overseas. Still owned by the descendants of the founder, who have built the business by consistently reinvesting profits, J. & J.Denholm's aim is to become leader in each of the fields in which it operates.