Maritime Partners

What Maritime Partners does

Maritime Partners, LLC is a privately held U.S. maritime leasing and financing company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Metairie, Louisiana. The company provides bareboat charters, sale-leaseback transactions, vessel construction financing, portfolio acquisitions, and custom liquidity solutions primarily to Jones Act maritime operators transporting agricultural products, chemicals, aggregates, crude oil, and refined petroleum across U.S. inland waterways and coastal trade routes. Following the December 2021 acquisition of the J. Russell Flowers portfolio (more than 1,000 vessels), Maritime Partners became the largest lessor of marine equipment in the United States, with a current fleet exceeding 1,900 vessels representing over 220,000 combined towboat horsepower and more than 9 million barrels of tank barge capacity.

The company's underlying platform combines a proprietary vessel asset-backed securitization (ABS) program — whose inaugural $235.3 million issuance in May 2023 was the first composed entirely of inland marine vessels — with proprietary methanol-to-hydrogen generation technology acquired through e1 Marine in July 2024 and deployed on the M/V Hydrogen One towboat under a U.S. Coast Guard Design Basis Agreement. Revenue is generated through long-term bareboat charter subscriptions, one-time sale-leaseback transactions, recurring vessel construction financing at 100% loan-to-value with no covenants, portfolio acquisition fees, and custom liquidity solutions, with structured debt facilities from ATLAS SP Partners, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, and Bank of America funding fleet growth. Customer segments span Jones Act commercial operators (Kirby Corporation, Overseas Shipholding Group, Keystone Shipping, Florida Marine Transporters, Martin Marine, Enterprise Product Partners), U.S. government maritime contractors (Military Sealift Command, Tanker Security Program), and ferry operators pursuing zero-emission propulsion. Vertical integration has expanded through subsidiaries including M/G Transport Services (inland barging), USMMI (military sealift), Centerline Logistics (coastal liquid petroleum barging), West Gulf Marine (shipbuilding), and e1 Marine (hydrogen generation).

Name

Maritime Partners

Legal name

Maritime Partners, LLC

Website

https://maritimepartnersllc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maritime Partners is the largest U.S. marine equipment lessor, providing bareboat charters, sale-leaseback, construction financing, and portfolio acquisitions to Jones Act maritime operators across U.S. inland waterways and coastal trade routes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Leasing and Vessel Financing

NAICS

Ship and Boat Building (3366), Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Finance Lessors (6172), Water Transportation (4400), Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Boat Finance (FSAKADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Boat & Marine Leasing (FSAKANAH), Dredging Support & Utility Workboats (Dredge Tenders, Barges, Utility Boats) (IMAJADAJ)

Keywords

• Maritime vessel leasing
• Jones Act financing
• Bareboat charter services
• Vessel construction financing
• Sale-leaseback transactions

Headquarters

HQ city

Metairie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Bareboat Charters: Maritime Partners leases its fleet of vessels (towboats, tank barges, hopper barges, deck barges, and Jones Act blue water vessels) to maritime operators through long-term bareboat charters. Operators pay fixed lease rates while gaining exclusive use of vessels without ownership burdens.
2. Sale-Leaseback Transactions: Operators sell existing vessels to Maritime Partners and immediately lease them back, freeing up capital while continuing operations. This provides upfront liquidity to operators while generating ongoing lease revenue.
3. Vessel Construction Financing: Maritime Partners provides 100% loan-to-value fixed-rate financing during vessel construction with no capital outlays or loan covenants. Upon delivery, operators can pay in full or convert to traditional mortgage-style financing.
4. Portfolio Acquisition Services: Maritime Partners acquires vessel portfolios from operators looking to divest non-strategic assets, providing capital that sellers can allocate toward organizational growth or balance sheet management.
5. Custom Liquidity Solutions: Tailored financing solutions designed to meet unique business goals, including capital for growth, expansion, or strengthening financial foundations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Maritime Partners is the largest lessor of marine equipment in the United States, providing bareboat charters of a 1,900+ vessel fleet (towboats, tank barges, hopper barges, deck barges, and Jones Act blue water vessels) to maritime operators. In addition to long-term vessel leasing, the company offers sale-leaseback transactions, 100% loan-to-value vessel construction financing, vessel portfolio acquisitions, and custom liquidity solutions tailored to Jones Act trade operators. Its services are delivered through capital markets instruments including vessel asset-backed securitizations and warehouse credit facilities totaling more than $1.7 billion.

Product overview

Maritime Partners is a maritime leasing and financing company offering a platform of complementary services including bareboat charters of a 1,900+ vessel fleet, sale-leaseback transactions, vessel construction financing, portfolio acquisitions, and custom liquidity solutions. The company primarily serves the Jones Act trade and U.S.-flag maritime sector, providing financing solutions and vessel leasing to maritime operators. The core offering consists of bareboat charters (the primary vessel access product), supported by financing products (sale-leaseback, construction financing, portfolio acquisition) that enable operators to acquire, expand, or divest vessel assets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bareboat Charters Long-term bareboat chartering of Maritime Partners' 1,900+ vessel fleet, including towboats, tank barges (30k bbl and 10k bbl), bunker barges, covered hopper barges, open hopper barges, deck barges, and U.S.-flag and Jones Act blue water vessels. Operators pay fixed lease rates for exclusive use of vessels without ownership burdens, serving Jones Act trade customers on the U.S. Gulf Coast, Mississippi River, inland waterways, and coastal waters.
• Sale-Leaseback Transaction in which a maritime operator sells an existing vessel to Maritime Partners and immediately leases it back, freeing up capital while continuing operations. Allows operators to convert owned vessels into off-balance-sheet leases that improve credit metrics and generate upfront liquidity.
• Vessel Construction Financing Fixed-rate construction financing on new vessels at 100% loan-to-value with no capital outlays and no loan covenants during the build period. Upon delivery, operators can pay the balance in full or convert to traditional mortgage-style financing, enabling fleet growth without tying up capital.
• Portfolio Acquisition Acquisition of vessel portfolios of any type and size, providing customized transaction structures tailored to sellers' tax considerations, transaction pace, and capital requirements. Capital released can be redirected to organizational growth or balance sheet management.
• Custom Liquidity Solutions Tailored liquidity solutions designed around unique operator business goals, providing capital for growth, expansion, or balance sheet strengthening. Structures draw on decades of maritime industry experience to address specific operator requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces CO2 emissions by minimum 25% using methanol-to-hydrogen technology
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• e1 MarinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Maritime Partners completed acquisition of e1 Marine on July 1, 2024. e1 Marine specializes in methanol-to-hydrogen generation products for marine vessels. The acquisition supports development of cleaner fuel sources and is part of Maritime Partners' commitment to environmental responsibility and innovation in the maritime industry.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Seaspan Corporation: One of the largest independent containership lessors globally, operating a publicly listed vehicle that owns and leases vessels to shipping lines. Highly comparable business model to Maritime Partners' bareboat charter and lease-to-finance platform, with similar capital markets-driven growth.
• Costamare Inc. Internationally active containership lessor with a fleet of ~70 vessels leased on bareboat/time charter terms. Closely mirrors Maritime Partners' asset-light leasing model, securitization experience, and operator-customer base.
• Danaos Corporation: Public containership lessor with long-term time charters to major liner operators. Comparable vessel leasing and structured financing model to Maritime Partners' bareboat charter business.
• Kirby Corporation: Largest U.S. inland tank barge operator with a fleet of over 1,000 barges and 300+ towboats, transporting petrochemicals, refined products, and agricultural goods on the U.S. inland waterway system. Directly comparable to Maritime Partners' core inland barge portfolio and Centerline Logistics operations, though Kirby is operator-owned rather than a lessor.
• Overseas Shipholding Group: Major Jones Act-qualified tanker operator and existing bareboat charter customer of Maritime Partners (handysize products tankers). Direct comparable as both a competitor for Jones Act tonnage and as a lessee customer of Maritime Partners.

Broad incumbents

• Crowley Maritime Corporation: Privately held, large diversified U.S. maritime operator with Jones Act logistics, government/military contracts (including Tanker Security Program), vessel construction, and energy services. Overlapping with Maritime Partners across government chartering, vessel operations, and Jones Act exposure but operating at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
• Watco Companies: Privately held transportation services company operating short-line railroads, marine terminals, and inland barge terminals across the U.S. Comparable in inland waterway exposure and B2B industrial customer base, though marine is one segment of a broader multi-modal portfolio.
• BOC Aviation: One of the world's largest aircraft lessors, owned by Bank of China. Comparable as a large-scale institutional lessor executing asset-backed financing in a regulated transportation asset class — analogous business model to Maritime Partners' marine vessel leasing, though in aviation rather than maritime.

Emerging players

• Tidewater Inc. Public offshore vessel operator serving the global energy industry with a large fleet of OSVs. Comparable vessel-leasing economics and operator structure but in a different end-market (offshore energy vs. Jones Act inland/coastal) and not a direct U.S. Jones Act competitor.

Others

• American Industrial Partners: Private equity firm with maritime/industrial track record and former employer of Maritime Partners' CFO Stephen J. Bordes. Adjacent rather than competitive — relevant as a capital partner comparable for industrial/maritime platforms, not as an operating peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/maritimepartne
• Facebookfacebook.com/maritimepartners
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maritime-partners-llc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maritime Partners