Bisso Towboat
Bisso Towboat is a privately held ship-assist tugboat operator founded in 1890, providing vessel docking and maneuvering services on the Lower Mississippi River using a 10-vessel fleet of ASD Tractor Tugs. It was acquired by Moran Towing Corporation in October 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1890
- HeadquartersLuling, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Bisso Towboat does
Bisso Towboat Co., Inc. is a privately held ship-assist tugboat operator founded in 1890 and headquartered in Luling, Louisiana, providing vessel docking, maneuvering, and escort services along the Lower Mississippi River from the river mouth to Baton Rouge. The company operates a 10-vessel fleet of Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) Tractor Tugs with a combined 51,056 horsepower and an average tug age of 11.9 years, making it the only ship-assist operator on the river with a 100% ASD tractor tug fleet. Vessels are built exclusively by Main Iron Works in Houma, Louisiana, powered by Caterpillar engines, and equipped with Kongsberg Z-Drive propulsion systems, JonRie escort winches, AIS transponders, infrared vision systems, and USCG-approved safety monitoring.
Bisso serves shipping companies, vessel operators, port authorities, and pilot associations on a 24/7 basis, with the underlying technology (360-degree rotating Z-Drives) enabling precision maneuvering, reduced tug count per job, and safe handling of vessels up to 165,000 tons. The company is differentiated by an average captain tenure of 27 years and a workforce experienced in the river's unique current and weather conditions. Pricing is tariff-based and transaction-tied to ship-assist jobs rather than disclosed publicly. On October 2, 2025, Bisso was acquired by Moran Towing Corporation, a privately held maritime services firm founded in 1860 that operates in 17 U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports.
Bisso Towboat firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bisso Towboat
- Legal name
- Bisso Towboat Co., Inc.
- Website
- https://bissotowing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1890
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Bisso Towboat is a privately held ship-assist tugboat operator founded in 1890, providing vessel docking and maneuvering services on the Lower Mississippi River using a 10-vessel fleet of ASD Tractor Tugs. It was acquired by Moran Towing Corporation in October 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bisso Towboat industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Ship-Assist Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Harbor Towage (Ship Assist & Berthing/Unberthing) (TLAHAHAA)
Keywords
Where Bisso Towboat is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Luling
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Bisso Towboat business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ship-Assist Services: Tugboat services for assisting and docking vessels along the Mississippi River from the mouth to Baton Rouge. Services include moving large ships, precision docking, and ship maneuvering operations.
- Tariff-Based Pricing: Services priced according to published tariff information including rates, terms, and conditions for ship-assist operations
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Tariff-based ship-assist services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Bisso Towboat product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bisso Towboat provides 24/7 ship-assist tugboat services on the Mississippi River from the river mouth to Baton Rouge, using an exclusively ASD (Azimuth Stern Drive) Tractor Tug fleet. The service includes vessel docking, ship maneuvering, and escort operations for large commercial ships and cargo vessels navigating the challenging currents of the lower Mississippi River. Founded in 1890, the company operates 10 ASD tractor tugs with a combined 51,056 horsepower, serving shipping companies, port authorities, and pilot associations along a 234-mile corridor.
Product overview
Bisso Towboat operates a single unified fleet of 10 ASD (Azimuth Stern Drive) Tractor Tugs that deliver ship-assist services along the Mississippi River from the mouth to Baton Rouge. The fleet includes named vessels (Mr. Brian, Andrew S., Becky S., Capt. Joseph Bisso, Liz Healy, Alma S., Michael S., William S., Mr. Ruben, Cecilia B. Slatten, and Allison S.) with horsepower ranging from 4,000 to 6,008 BHP and bollard pull from 53.7 to 76.2 tons. The vessels are constructed exclusively by Main Iron Works in Houma, Louisiana, and powered by Caterpillar engines with Kongsberg Z-Drive propulsion systems from Rolls Royce. The ship-assist service leverages the fleet's tractor tug technology to move and dock vessels with precision.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ship-Assist Tugboat Services Core 24/7 ship-assist service providing vessel movement, docking, and maneuvering assistance on the Mississippi River from the river mouth to Baton Rouge (mile 0 to mile 234). The service uses ASD tractor tugs to safely move large commercial ships with precision in challenging river currents.
- ASD Tractor Tug Fleet Operations Unified fleet of 10 Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) Tractor Tugs with Z-Drive propulsion systems providing 360-degree propeller rotation for precise ship-assist maneuvering. Total fleet horsepower of 51,056 BHP, with an average tug age of 11.9 years and average horsepower per tug of 4,641 BHP. The fleet is the only 100% ASD tractor tug operation on the Mississippi River.
- M/V Mr. Brian ASD Tractor Tug
- Vessel Escort and Towing Services Towing and escort operations for vessels on the Mississippi River, supported by JonRie Series 240 Escort Winches with 500 feet of 2 3/4 inch Saturn 12 line. Services are provided to support safe vessel transit through the river corridor in collaboration with pilot associations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Average captain tenure of 27 years indicates exceptional crew experience and retention
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Bisso Towboat
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Bisso Towboat technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Bisso Towboat partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- Moran Towing CorporationflagshipMoran Towing Corporation acquired Bisso Towboat as a long-term investment in the growth of New Orleans and the lower Mississippi River region. Moran was founded in 1860, operates in 17 ports along U.S. East and Gulf Coasts, and has operated in New Orleans since 2006. Both are family-owned, privately operated companies with shared values around employee treatment and customer service.
- Phelps DunbarminorLaw firm that represented Bisso Towboat in the acquisition transaction with Moran Towing Corporation.
- Main Iron WorkscorePrimary tugboat builder constructing ASD Tractor Tugs from the ground up at their facility in Houma, Louisiana. Described as 'the best tugboat builders in the United States' by President Scott Slatten.
- KongsbergcoreSupplier of US205S Z-Drive propulsion systems featuring 2400MM diameter four-blade stainless steel propellers in stainless steel nozzles. Z-Drives enable 360-degree propeller rotation for superior maneuverability.
- CaterpillarcoreSupplier of main engines (3516E Tier 4F) generating 2500 BHP each at 1600 RPM, and C4.4 engines for generators. Fleet uses exclusively Caterpillar power systems.
Scale indicators8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Bisso Towboat competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Moran Towing Corporation: Parent company of Bisso Towboat since October 2025, Moran Towing operates harbor towing and ship-assist services in 17 U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports. Most directly comparable peer — same services, overlapping customer base, and now part of the same corporate group.
- Bouchard Transportation Co. Provides harbor towing, ship-assist, and barge transport services primarily in New York Harbor and the U.S. East Coast. Comparable in tugboat fleet and service delivery to commercial vessel operators.
- Vane Brothers Company: Provides ship-assist, barge towing, and bunkering services primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Gulf ports. Comparable in tugboat operations and commercial shipping customer base.
- Dann Ocean Towing: Harbor towing and ship-assist operator serving East Coast and Gulf ports with tugboat services comparable to Bisso's offering. Similar in customer base (shipping companies) and operational model.
- Crescent Towing & Salvage: Operates harbor towing and ship-assist services in the lower Mississippi River and Gulf Coast, directly competing with Bisso for the same vessel customers along the New Orleans to Baton Rouge corridor.
- Foss Maritime Company: Major U.S. tug and barge operator providing ship-assist, harbor towing, and ocean transport, primarily on the West Coast, Hawaii, and Gulf. Operates ASD tractor tugs similar to Bisso's fleet.
- McAllister Towing & Transportation: One of the largest U.S. harbor towing operators, providing ship-assist and barge towing on the East and Gulf Coasts. Comparable in service offering and customer base (commercial vessel operators, port authorities).
- Sause Bros. Towing: Operates harbor towing and ship-assist services on the U.S. West Coast and Hawaii with a fleet of ASD tractor tugs. Similar in fleet composition and service offering.
- Seabulk Towing: Operates harbor towing and ship-assist services in U.S. Gulf and Caribbean ports. Directly comparable in tugboat operations and commercial maritime customer base.
Regional players
- Ingram Marine Group: Operates one of the largest U.S. inland barge fleets on the Mississippi River system. While primarily a barge operator rather than tug-assisted ship-assist, it is a key counterpart and customer in the same Mississippi River corridor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Bisso Towboat social profiles
Digital presenceBisso Towboat compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Bisso Towboat financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bisso Towboat leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Bisso Towboat funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bisso Towboat M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bisso Towboat
What does Bisso Towboat do?
Bisso Towboat provides 24/7 ship-assist tugboat services on the Mississippi River from the river mouth to Baton Rouge, using an exclusively ASD (Azimuth Stern Drive) Tractor Tug fleet. The service includes vessel docking, ship maneuvering, and escort operations for large commercial ships and cargo vessels navigating the challenging currents of the lower Mississippi River. Founded in 1890, the company operates 10 ASD tractor tugs with a combined 51,056 horsepower, serving shipping companies, port authorities, and pilot associations along a 234-mile corridor.
Is Bisso Towboat a public or private company?
Bisso Towboat is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Bisso Towboat founded?
Bisso Towboat was founded in 1890. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Bisso Towboat based?
Bisso Towboat is headquartered in Luling, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bisso Towboat make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Ship-Assist Services are the primary driver. The others are tariff-Based Pricing.
Who are Bisso Towboat's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Moran Towing Corporation, Bouchard Transportation Co., Vane Brothers Company, Dann Ocean Towing, Crescent Towing & Salvage, Foss Maritime Company, McAllister Towing & Transportation, Sause Bros. Towing and Seabulk Towing. Ingram Marine Group is listed as a regional player.
Does Bisso Towboat have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bisso Towboat.
What industry is Bisso Towboat in?
Bisso Towboat's product category is Maritime Ship-Assist Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAHAHAA, Harbor Towage (Ship Assist & Berthing/Unberthing). Its NAICS code is 4883 and its SIC code is 4400.