What Markey Machine does

Markey Machine is a Seattle-based, privately held manufacturer of fully custom marine winches and deck machinery, founded in 1907 and operating continuously for over 115 years. The company designs and builds a complete portfolio of marine deck equipment — hawser/escort winches, towing winches, mooring winches, capstans, anchor windlasses, combination winches, scientific/oceanographic research winches, specialty industrial winches, and the high-capacity DEPS-76AR abandonment and recovery winch — each engineered to the specifications of a particular vessel. Core technical differentiators include the proprietary Render/Recover and Asymmetric Render/Recover (ARR) constant-tension hawser control systems (originating in 1995 with Crowley), the AGILE bow-mounted winch architecture, active heave compensation, and the Sentinel Maritime Safeguard & Inspection aftermarket service program, which maintains equipment across all makes and models via on-site surveys and remote troubleshooting.

The company sells primarily through a direct enterprise field-sales motion to vessel owners, shipyards, and naval architects, with a regional representative in New Orleans (J.H. Menge & Company). Pricing is quote-based (firm-fixed pricing valid 30 days, EXW Seattle), with Net 30 terms and a 3-year warranty on winch products — a standard the company set above the prior 12–18 month industry norm. Markey serves a diversified enterprise base across tugboat/workboat operators (Crowley, Foss, McAllister, Moran, SAAM Towage, Signet, Stabbert, Brusco, Saltchuk), U.S. Navy and NOAA, shipyards (Conrad, Bollinger, Eastern Shipbuilding, Diversified Marine), and oceanographic research institutions (Scripps, Woods Hole, University of Washington, Oregon State, UMCES, LUMCON, Ocean University of China). Its installed base spans the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, and South America, supported by the Seattle headquarters and engineering/fabrication facility.

Revenue is generated through custom one-time equipment sales, aftermarket parts, Sentinel inspection/repair services, and engineering consulting. In October 2022 the company closed an investment (reported at approximately $4.87M) to fund expansion, and in October 2023 it acquired JonRie InterTech to extend its winch product line. Leadership transitioned in November 2024 with the appointment of Peter Roney — formerly of Foss Maritime and Gunderson Marine — as the company's fifth president, working alongside Owner/CEO Blaine Dempke. The business is not publicly listed, and no revenue figure is disclosed in available sources.

Name

Markey Machine

Legal name

Markey Machine LLC

Website

https://markeymachine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Markey Machine is a Seattle-based manufacturer of fully custom marine winches and deck machinery, serving tugboat operators, research institutions, shipyards, and government/maritime customers globally with proprietary constant-tension control systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Winch and Deck Machinery Manufacturing

NAICS

Ship and Boat Building (3366), Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing (333923)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Sheet Metal Work (3444)

akta.pro primary industry

Deck Machinery & Mooring Systems (Winches, Windlasses, Capstans) (IMAJAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Winches & Capstans (IMAHAJAH), Cargo Handling & Lifting Equipment (Cranes, Derricks, Hoists) (IMAJAIAB)

Keywords

• Custom marine winches
• Deck machinery
• Towing winches
• Mooring equipment
• Marine deck hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Marine Winch Manufacturing & Equipment Sales: Markey Machine designs and builds fully custom marine winches and deck machinery (hawser/escort winches, towing winches, mooring winches, capstans, anchor windlasses, combination winches, research/scientific winches, specialty winches, abandonment & recovery winches). Each product is custom-built to the specifications of each vessel. Equipment is sold as new builds with pricing quoted as firm-fixed pricing (FFP) valid for 30 days or budgetary/ROM pricing for preliminary bids.
2. Winch & Deck Machinery Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance (Sentinel Inspections): Markey Machine offers comprehensive inspection, maintenance, and repair services for all makes and models of deck equipment (not just Markey products) through its Sentinel Maritime Safeguard & Inspection program. Services include on-site surveys, remote access troubleshooting, winch familiarization training, custom fabrication & welding, and existing part repair. Services are performed at client locations worldwide and at the Seattle factory.
3. Aftermarket Parts: Markey Machine maintains a parts department devoted to finding the right replacement parts for winches and deck machinery. The company also offers winch refurbishment services. Parts sourcing is a component of ongoing customer relationships.
4. Engineering Consulting: Sentinel Inspections offers engineering consulting services including vessel & equipment reconfigurations, winch modifications, adaptations, improvements, repowering, and documentation/maintenance of equipment no longer supported by other OEMs. Also supports seasoned equipment with drum chart re-evaluation, brake ratings, and drum capacity assessments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Markey Machine designs and builds fully custom marine winches and deck machinery, including hawser/escort winches, towing winches, mooring winches, capstans, anchor windlasses, combination winches, and scientific/oceanographic research winches. Each product is custom-engineered to individual vessel specifications using marine-grade materials and powered by electric, hydraulic, diesel, or pneumatic drives. The company also offers proprietary Render/Recover constant-tension control systems and a Sentinel Maritime Safeguard & Inspection aftermarket service program.

Product overview

Markey Machine is a Seattle-based manufacturer of fully custom marine winches and deck machinery with over 115 years of experience. The product portfolio centers on marine winches including Hawser/Escort Winches (Class I, II, II+, III), Marine Towing Winches, Mooring Winches, Capstan Winches, Anchor Windlasses, Combination Winches, Scientific/Oceanographic Research Winches, and Specialty Winches & Equipment. Specialized high-performance offerings include the DEPS-76AR Abandonment & Recovery Winch (up to 450 metric tons line-pull), Render/Recover Winch Systems with proprietary constant-tension controls, and Agile Concept Winches featuring a compact footprint design. Supporting services include Sentinel Maritime Safeguard & Inspection (mobile marine surveys, remote troubleshooting, and repairs) and comprehensive after-sales support. All products are built to individual vessel specifications using marine-grade materials for harsh ocean conditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sentinel Maritime Safeguard & Inspection: Marine survey and deck machinery repair services program offering on-site inspections, remote access troubleshooting, and winch familiarization training.
• Render/Recover
• Asymmetric Render/Recover (ARR)
• AGILE Concept Winch

Products and services

• Hawser/Escort Winches High-performance winches for spooling high-strength synthetic rope, featuring four classes for dynamic offshore swells and in-harbor operations. Includes levelwinds, automatic gearboxes, water-cooled dynamic brakes, and proprietary Render/Recover tension controls. Used by tugboat operators.
• Marine Towing Winches Fully customizable workhorse winches for offshore towing, available in single and double drum configurations with diesel, electric, or hydraulic power sources. Features high line-pull and braking power with ABS, USCG, and IEEE-45 compliant electronics.
• Mooring Winches Engineered mooring systems for securing vessels to docks, featuring hydraulic or electric constant-tension systems and manual, hydraulic, or pneumatic drum brakes. Includes split mooring winch configurations.
• Capstan Winches Industrial rope and cable handling winches available in electric, hydraulic, and pneumatic models with barrel diameters from 200mm to 600mm. Features above-deck or below-deck gearboxes and high-breaking strength soft-line compatibility.
• Anchor Windlasses Society class-certified electric and hydraulic windlasses available in single or double wildcat configurations with or without warping heads. Supports chain sizes from 0.75 to 4.25 inches with right/left hand and single/multi-speed options.
• Combination Winches Space-saving winches combining multiple functions such as capstan-windlass models, mooring winches with anchor windlass capability, and hawser winches with integral windlasses. Selectable via clutches or separately driven for dual operability.
• Scientific/Oceanographic Research Winches Custom-built research winches for near-shore, deep sea, and traction applications supporting over 40 years of scientific missions. Features active heave compensation, launch and recovery systems, and smart winch controls deployed on vessels including R/V Sally Ride and R/V Neil Armstrong.
• Specialty Winches & Equipment Custom non-marine and specialty deck equipment including stainless steel bullnoses, draw bridge winches, mining winches, and crane winches. Custom manufacturing with multiple drums, diesel, hydraulic, and electric drives.
• DEPS-76AR Abandonment & Recovery Winch Ultra-high-capacity abandonment and recovery winch with a 34:1 D:d ratio at the barrel layer, spooling 3,300m of 121mm wire rope in eight layers, rated up to 450 metric tons line-pull. Equipped with 5x350 HP AC electric variable-frequency marine-duty motors with automatic brakes and computer-controlled fairlead.
• Render/Recover Winch Systems Dynamic constant-tension winch control systems providing equal power for inhaul and payout operations. Includes Markey Asymmetric Render/Recover (ARR) for ultra-high performance with higher payout capability. Winch power ranges from 100 to 800 horsepower.
• Sentinel Maritime Safeguard & Inspection Marine survey and deck machinery repair services offering on-site inspections, remote access troubleshooting, winch familiarization training, and predictive maintenance. Comprehensive servicing for all makes and models of deck equipment, not just Markey products.
• After-Sales Service Post-sale support including marine surveys and deck machinery repairs. Mobile service teams travel to vessel locations for inspections and work around vessel schedules for repairs.
• Agile Concept Winches (DESF-52 AGILE and TESF-32 AGILE) Escort-operations, bow-mounted winch designed for environments where space is at a premium. The athwartships dimension was substantially redesigned, integrating the previously independent L-shaped gearbox with the winch, resulting in a footprint reduction of 16.4% over previous models. Available as DESF-52 AGILE and TESF-32 AGILE 200-hp electric winches.

Quantifiable outcome

• DEPS-76AR Abandonment & Recovery Winch achieves up to 450 metric tons line-pull on all layers over the weight of the cable, with a 34:1 D:d ratio and 3,300m wire rope capacity in 8 layers.
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.

• SAAM TowagecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2024SAAM Towage (largest operator of tugs in the Americas) partnered with Markey Machine to retrofit Class I winch-control package aboard the Point Valiant tug in Vancouver, B.C. The project began with a Sentinel Survey and Pablo Caceres, Engineering and Development Director at SAAM Towage, acknowledged Markey's reputation in winch control technology.
• JonRie InterTechcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2023Markey Machine acquired JonRie InterTech in October 2023, expanding its product offerings and market presence in the marine winch industry. This strategic acquisition leverages the combined expertise of both companies to develop advanced winch systems for maritime and offshore sectors. JonRie InterTech is listed as a 'Related Company' on Markey Machine's website.
• Bollinger ShipyardsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 August 2023Markey Machine won a contract with Bollinger Shipyards for winch work aboard NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown. This is part of a broader relationship where Bollinger contracts Markey for deck machinery on government vessel projects.
• Moran TowingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 July 2023Moran Towing ordered new escort tugs equipped with Markey DEPCF-52 hawser winches and CEW-60 capstans. The new Rapport 2800 series tugs (92 feet, 40-foot beam) are among the most powerful in Moran's fleet with brake-holding capacity of 339 tons.
• Crowley Marine ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Crowley Marine Services was the launch partner for Markey Machine's Render/Recover control system in 1995, with the construction of tugs Protector and Guard. The relationship continued with the development of the first Class III ARR winch for Crowley's Response tug in 2000, and most recently the eWolf electric tugboat.
• Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEastern Shipbuilding Group is building new escort tugs for Saltchuk Marine, equipped with Markey Machine's DEPGH-52 hawser winches. ESG is a key shipbuilding partner for Markey's equipment installations on new vessel builds.
• Signet Maritime CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignet Maritime's tugs Signet Sirius and Signet Capella were equipped with Markey's AGILE winches and won WorkBoat's 'Boat of the Year.' Markey was shortlisted for the TugTechnology Innovation Award partly due to the AGILE winch on Signet's vessels. Tim McCallum, Senior VP of Engineering at Signet, praised Markey's commitment to quality and the Render/Recover winch control.
• McAllister TowingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcAllister Towing operates the Jane McAllister tug (6,770 HP Tier IV Class) equipped with Markey winches on bow and stern, achieving over 91 short tons bollard pull during ABS certification.
• J.H. Menge & Company, Inc.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJ.H. Menge & Company, Inc. serves as Markey Machine's sales representative in the New Orleans, Louisiana area. Contact: Mr. Courtland Roberts, Phone: +1 504 733 4871. This represents Markey's channel presence in the Gulf Coast and Southeastern US maritime market.
• Stabbert MaritimeregionalImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStabbert Maritime engaged Markey Machine for rapid refurbishment of a COM-10V Oceanographic Winch. Stabbert praised Markey for completing the wire spooling of 5,000 ft in 1 hour with notably quiet operations, demonstrating Markey's ability to deliver time-sensitive aftermarket services.
• Crowley Engineering ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrowley's engineering services group designed the eWolf electric tugboat from the keel up, working with Markey to integrate the hawser winch into this pioneering zero-emission vessel. The eWolf was named a finalist for 2024 Tugboat of the Year.
• Robert Allan Ltd.coreTechnology or IntegrationRobert Allan Ltd. is the naval architecture firm that has designed multiple tugboats equipped with Markey winches, including the RASCAL (for Brusco Tug & Barge), Point Valiant (for SAAM Towage), and Moran Towing's new escort tugs. The firm works closely with Markey to integrate winch systems into new vessel designs.
• Ocean Industries Inc.regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerOcean Industries Inc. built the Point Valiant tug (designed by Robert Allan Ltd.) for SAAM Towage, which was retrofitted with Markey's Class I winch-control package.
• Diversified Marine, Inc.regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiversified Marine, Inc. built the RASCAL tugboat (RAscal 2000 D series) for Brusco Tug & Barge, equipped with Markey Machine's DEPC-42 Hawser Winch.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• JonRie InterTech: Marine winch manufacturer focused on offshore, subsea ROV, and mooring systems. Acquired by Markey Machine in October 2023, it historically competed directly with Markey in the marine winch space before becoming a subsidiary.
• Rapp Marine: Norwegian manufacturer of marine winches, deck machinery, and offshore equipment including hawser winches, mooring winches, and anchor windlasses for tugboats, offshore vessels, and naval ships. Closest international direct competitor to Markey in marine winches.

Broad incumbents

• MacGregor: Part of Cargotec, MacGregor is a large marine equipment manufacturer offering deck machinery, cranes, winches, and load-handling solutions for offshore, cargo, and merchant vessels. A much larger incumbent operating broadly across marine equipment.
• Huisman: Dutch manufacturer of heavy-duty cranes, winches, and offshore equipment for marine, offshore wind, and oil & gas. Competes with Markey in higher-capacity mooring, towing, and offshore winches via its broader portfolio.
• TTS Marine (TTS Syncrolift): Norwegian marine equipment provider offering deck machinery, winches, and cargo-handling systems for commercial vessels and offshore platforms. Broader portfolio with overlapping winch capabilities.
• Braden Winch (PACCAR Winch): Manufacturer of industrial and marine winches, gear boxes, and planetary drives. Braden supplies winches to commercial marine, oil & gas, and heavy industrial markets, partially overlapping with Markey's specialty/non-marine offerings.

Regional players

• DMT International: Polish/European winch and hoisting equipment manufacturer serving marine and industrial markets. Competes with Markey in the tugboat and offshore segments primarily in European and offshore markets.

Others

• Bosch Rexroth: Large manufacturer of hydraulic drives, motors, and winch systems for marine and offshore applications. Competes at the component and drivetrain level that Markey integrates into its custom winches; not a direct winch OEM but an enabling competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/markeywinches

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Markey Machine