What McAllister Towing does

McAllister Towing and Transportation Company, Inc. is a fifth-generation family-owned marine towing company founded in 1864, headquartered in New York City. The company operates a fleet of more than 60 vessels—including 38 Z-drive tractor tugs, conventional twin-screw tugs, flanking rudder tugs, crew boats, and ocean/warehouse barges—producing over 270,000 combined horsepower, across 13 ports along the U.S. East Coast from Maine to Puerto Rico. It services more than 1,000 steamship companies, including container lines, tanker fleets, LNG terminal operators, offshore wind developers, and bulk cargo shippers, handling over 2,200 vessels per year at its Jacksonville operations alone.

Revenue is generated primarily through tariff-based, pay-per-call harbor towing (ship docking, undocking, and assist), offshore and contract towing (dead ship tows, barge transportation, project support), specialized LNG ship-assist and bunkering operations, offshore windfarm support services, and bulk barge transport. The LNG service line includes a long-running joint venture (Chesapeake Energy Services, LLC) at the Cove Point LNG terminal, where McAllister operates purpose-built, FiFi 1-classified tractor tugs, and a technical management agreement with Polaris New Energy to operate the POLARIS/CLEAN CANAVERAL articulated tug-barge (ATB) for LNG bunkering in Florida. The company also owns the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company, a passenger and vehicle ferry operating four vessels across Long Island Sound. The fleet is ISO 9001:2008 and ISM Code certified, ABS SQ certified, and accredited under the American Waterways Operators Responsible Carrier Program.

Name

McAllister Towing

Legal name

McAllister Towing and Transportation Company, Inc.

Website

https://mcallistertowing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1864

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

McAllister Towing is a fifth-generation, family-owned U.S. East Coast marine towing company operating 60+ vessels across 13 ports, providing ship docking, offshore towing, LNG ship-assist and bunkering, and offshore wind support to steamship companies, energy operators, and bulk cargo shippers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ship Docking Services: Harbor tug services for vessel docking, undocking, and assist operations at ports along the U.S. East Coast and Caribbean
2. Offshore and Contract Towing: Ocean towing, dead ship tows, barge transportation, and project support for construction, salvage, and government/commercial operations
3. LNG Terminal Services: Ship-assist operations for LNG tankers at Cove Point and other LNG terminals, with specialized Z-drive tractor tugs
4. LNG Bunkering Operations: Technical management of LNG bunkering operations delivering LNG as maritime fuel to ships
5. Offshore Wind Support: Windfarm support vessels, security vessels, and project staging from company-owned terminals
6. Barge Transportation: Ocean deck barges and covered warehouse barges for bulk and industrial cargo transport in domestic and foreign trades

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

McAllister Towing operates a fleet of more than 60 tugboats, crew boats, and barges across 13 port locations along the U.S. East Coast from Maine to Puerto Rico. The company provides ship docking and undocking services, harbor towing, offshore and contract towing, specialized LNG tanker ship-assist and bunkering operations, windfarm support services, and bulk cargo barge transportation for shipping companies, port authorities, and energy customers.

Product overview

McAllister Towing operates a fleet of more than 60 tugboats, crew boats, and barges across 13 locations along the U.S. East Coast from Maine to Puerto Rico. The fleet includes 38 Z-Drive/tractor tugs and over 20 vessels for coastal towing with more than 270,000 combined horsepower. The core products consist of tugboats (ship docking and harbor assist), crew boats, and barges (bulk cargo transportation). Services include ship docking, offshore and contract towing, LNG services and bunkering, and windfarm support operations. The company also operates the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company ferry service as a subsidiary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ship Docking
• Offshore + Contract Towing
• LNG Services
• LNG Bunkering
• McAllister Offshore
• Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company
• Barge Transportation

Quantifiable outcome

• Servicing over 1,000 steamship companies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chesapeake Energy Services, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcAllister participates in Chesapeake Energy Services, LLC venture for LNG ship-assist operations at Cove Point, MD. McAllister designed and had two tugs built specifically for the project - Emily Anne McAllister and AJ McAllister - working as part of the joint venture to service the largest LNG import facility in the United States since 2003.
• Polaris New EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcAllister Towing LNG Services, LLC serves as technical manager for Polaris New Energy's LNG bunkering operation in Florida. McAllister operates the Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) POLARIS/CLEAN CANAVERAL, delivering LNG as a clean maritime transportation fuel.
• Washburn & DoughtycoreTechnology or IntegrationAmerican shipyard building McAllister's new tractor tugs including the Gerard McAllister, the fifth in a series of six 84-metric-ton bollard pull, low-emission tractor tugs. McAllister continues fleet modernization with new vessel orders.
• Massachusetts Maritime AcademyminorOthersGerard McAllister tug stopped at Massachusetts Maritime Academy during delivery voyage, giving cadets opportunity to tour the new tug and learn about the tugboat industry.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Foss Maritime Company: West Coast and Pacific harbor towage operator with similar vessel mix (tractor tugs, harbor assist). Acquired by Saltchuk (same parent as Moran). Comparable in service portfolio and barge transportation but geographically separate from McAllister.
• Moran Towing Corporation: One of the largest U.S. tug operators, historically competing directly with McAllister along the East Coast. Acquired by Saltchuk Resources in 2022. Closely comparable in fleet size, harbor towage services, and customer base (liner companies, tankers, ports).
• Great Lakes Towing Company: U.S. tug operator serving the Great Lakes and inland waterways with ship-assist and barge towing. Comparable fleet profile and customer segments; competed with McAllister's former Tugz International operations before they were absorbed.
• Vane Brothers Company: Mid-Atlantic and East Coast tug and barge operator based in Baltimore, providing ship-assist, harbor towing, and bulk barge transportation. Direct competitor in Mid-Atlantic ports (Baltimore, Chesapeake Bay) overlapping with McAllister's footprint.
• Bouchard Transportation Co. U.S. tug and barge operator with East Coast and Gulf operations, providing barge transportation of petroleum and bulk cargo. Comparable in fleet mix and barge services overlapping with McAllister's barge transportation revenue stream.

Broad incumbents

• Crowley Maritime Corporation: Diversified U.S. maritime conglomerate with tug and ship-assist operations, LNG, and offshore wind support. Broader scope than McAllister (logistics, energy, government services) but directly competes in harbor towage and offshore wind vessel services.
• Smit Lamnalco (Royal Boskalis Westminster): Global harbor towage and offshore vessel operator owned by Royal Boskalis Westminster. Comparable ship-assist and terminal towage services; provides a benchmark for international best practices and scale in LNG and offshore support.

Emerging players

• AmNav Maritime Services: California-based tug and barge operator with growing West Coast presence. Comparable in tug and barge transportation services though smaller in scale and serving different ports than McAllister.

Others

• Incat Crowther: Ship designer specializing in crew transfer vessels (CTVs), tugs, and offshore wind support vessels. Adjacent/ecosystem participant: not a direct competitor, but the firm designs CTVs (like those used in McAllister's offshore wind fleet) and shapes vessel technology relevant to McAllister's offshore wind growth strategy.

Regional players

• Bay Houston Towing Company: Major Gulf Coast harbor towage and ship-assist operator. Comparable business model and customer base (liner fleets, tanker operators) but geographically distinct from McAllister's East Coast concentration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/mcallistertowing
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClVRqUgFCoHfFqinUfDCXRw
• Facebookfacebook.com/McAllister.Towing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcallister-towing

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about McAllister Towing