Cooper/Ports America

What Cooper/Ports America does

Cooper/Ports America (C/PA) is a Texas-focused marine terminal operator formed on October 1, 2016 as a joint venture between The Cooper Group (established 1905) and Ports America (the largest independent marine terminal operator and stevedore in the United States). The combined entity consolidates the parents' Houston-area breakbulk operations and the legacy businesses of Shippers Stevedoring, Chaparral Stevedoring, and Integrated Marine Services (IMS), positioning C/PA as the premier full-service stevedoring, terminal operations, container stuffing and stripping, container yard depot, container and chassis maintenance and repair, and truck brokerage provider in the Texas market. Operations are anchored at four facilities: Port Houston Barbours Cut (La Porte, ~230 developed acres, 6 berths, RTG cranes), Port Houston City Docks/Turning Basin (940,000 sq ft transit shed, 1,000,000 sq ft open dock, 4,000 TEU container yard, 100+ acres wind-energy storage, 18 berths), Beaumont/Port Arthur (autos, general cargo, wind), and Corpus Christi/Port Comfort (bulk, steel, breakbulk, Ro-Ro). The company also operates an FTZ at City Docks, a Container Freight Station, and the Lumber Corridor Facility with Port Houston and G2Ocean.

C/PA's revenue model is industrial professional services and managed services, billed on a quote-based B2B basis across six streams: stevedoring, terminal operations, container yard depots, container and chassis M&R, truck brokering and logistics, and Ro-Ro services. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with named directors and operations managers at each terminal. Customer-facing technology includes a Cargo Logistics Technology System (arrival notifications, online scheduling, express check-in/out, real-time tracking), a Depot Management System at IMS, Wireless Yard Manager handhelds, and a Digital Intermodal Web-based Interface for equipment access and booking. The product portfolio extends to specialized wind energy handling (blades up to 74 m, tower sections, nacelles) and project cargo with freight insurance coverage.

The business is served by 501–1,000 employees and operates as a private joint venture under C/PA Corporation (Texas domicile). Leadership includes Chris Lewis (SVP Operations and Logistics), Scott Clark (Director of Sales), Brooke Weil (Logistics Sales Manager), Charles Cherrington (City Docks Operations Manager), Christina Buentello (CFS Manager), Michael Blackwell (Container Operations Manager), and Don Johnson (CFO). No funding rounds, public listing, or third-party valuation are disclosed; pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Cooper/Ports America

Legal name

C/PA Corporation

Website

https://c-pa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Cooper/Ports America is a Texas-focused joint venture between The Cooper Group and Ports America providing full-service stevedoring, terminal operations, container depot, M&R, and truck brokerage services at four Texas port complexes to enterprise cargo owners and shipping lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Terminal and Port Logistics Services

NAICS

Marine Cargo Handling (488320), Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)

akta.pro primary industry

Stevedoring & Vessel Loading/Discharging (Ship-to-Shore Operations) (TLAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Terminal Cargo Handling & Yard Operations (Receiving, Staging, Delivery) (TLAHALAB), Gateway Container Terminals (Import/Export) (TLAHAAAB), Container Freight Stations (CFS) (TLALAJAC), Warehousing, CFS & Bonded Storage for General Cargo (Within Terminal) (TLAHADAI)

Keywords

• Port terminal operations
• Stevedoring services
• Container logistics
• Breakbulk cargo handling
• Marine cargo services

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Stevedoring Services: Full-service stevedoring operations including breakbulk, project cargo, and general cargo handling with state-of-the-art equipment
2. Terminal Operations: Terminal services including receiving, delivery, weighing, sorting, clerking, sampling, and storage for containerized and bulk cargo
3. Container Yard Depots: Container storage, stuffing and stripping services
4. Container and Chassis Maintenance and Repair: M&R services for containers and chassis including mobile repairs, refrigerated container repairs, and steam cleaning
5. Truck Brokering and Logistics: Supply chain management and multi-services transportation packages for all cargo types
6. Ro-Ro Services: Roll-on/roll-off cargo handling including vehicles, construction and agricultural machinery

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cooper/Ports America (C/PA) provides full-service stevedoring, terminal operations, container stuffing and stripping, container yard depot services, container and chassis maintenance and repair, and truck brokerage and logistics across Texas port markets. The company operates multiple terminal facilities including Port Houston's Barbours Cut and City Docks/Turning Basin, as well as Beaumont/Port Arthur and Corpus Christi/Port Comfort. It is a joint venture between The Cooper Group and Ports America, serving cargo owners, shipping lines, project cargo customers, and logistics providers.

Product overview

Cooper/Ports America (C/PA) is a joint-venture operation between The Cooper Group and Ports America that operates as a full-service port and terminal operations provider. The company offers an integrated suite of services including stevedoring and breakbulk cargo handling, project cargo, container terminal services, Ro-Ro, truck brokering and logistics, and wind energy logistics solutions. C/PA operates multiple facilities in Texas including City Docks/Turning Basin (with 940,000 sq ft transit shed capacity), Barbours Cut (approximately 230 developed acres), Beaumont/Port Arthur, and Corpus Christi/Port Comfort. The portfolio also includes Integrated Marine Services (IMS) for container and chassis maintenance and repair, Container Freight Station (CFS) operations, and the Lumber Corridor Facility for lumber distribution. C/PA utilizes an innovative cargo logistics system with real-time tracking, online scheduling, and express check-in/check-out capabilities to provide efficient cargo handling across its terminal network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stevedoring & Breakbulk

Quantifiable outcome

• Cargo available faster than direct-to-truck discharge through efficient logistics system
• +2 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Port HoustoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPort Houston is a key strategic partner in C/PA operations, particularly for the Lumber Corridor Facility at City Docks. The partnership enables customers to bypass main lanes of Port Houston Authority, accelerating throughput and delivering efficiency for global supply chains. C/PA operates at Port Houston's Barbours Cut terminal and Northside City Docks under this relationship.
• G2OceancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerG2Ocean is a strategic partner in the Lumber Corridor Facility at City Docks. The collaboration with Port Houston and C/PA enables customers to bypass main terminal lanes, accelerating throughput and delivering unmatched efficiency for global supply chains through the state-of-the-art lumber facility.
• The Cooper GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cooper Group (established 1905) is the parent company and joint venture partner in C/PA. Has operations on all three U.S. coasts and foreign operations in Brazil and Mexico. Maintains ownership in warehousing, terminal operations, tugboats, push boats, barging, barge fleeting, floating terminals, logistics, forestry operations, vessel repair, and restaurants.
• Ports AmericaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPorts America, headquartered in New Jersey, is the largest independent marine terminal operator and stevedore company in the United States. Currently operates in 42+ ports and 80 locations. Joint venture partner with The Cooper Group in C/PA, providing stevedoring and terminal operations expertise.
• Shippers StevedoringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShippers Stevedoring operations were acquired by C/PA at startup (October 1, 2016) as part of the joint venture formation between The Cooper Group and Ports America.
• Chaparral StevedoringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChaparral Stevedoring operations were acquired by C/PA at startup (October 1, 2016) as part of the joint venture formation between The Cooper Group and Ports America.
• Integrated Marine Services (IMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated Marine Services (IMS) is part of the C/PA joint venture, providing container and chassis maintenance and repair services. Operates depot management system with wireless yard manager hand-held terminals and digital intermodal web-based interface at Barbours Cut location.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ports America: Largest independent marine terminal operator and stevedore in the U.S., operating in 42+ ports and 80 locations. Joint venture parent of C/PA and the source of its national terminal and stevedoring playbook; competes in adjacent Gulf and Atlantic ports with similar service offerings.
• APM Terminals: Maersk-owned global container terminal operator with U.S. Gulf presence. Comparable as a container terminal operator at scale; differs in being ocean-carrier-aligned rather than independent, and less focused on breakbulk/wind project cargo.
• DP World: Global marine terminal operator with U.S. footprint. Comparable as a multi-port terminal operator serving containerized cargo; competes on container handling at scale but lacks C/PA's breakbulk and wind energy specialization.
• Kinder Morgan Terminals: Large U.S. midstream operator with bulk and liquids terminal network. Comparable as a Houston-area terminal operator handling bulk commodities, though focused on petroleum/chemicals rather than breakbulk and wind.
• ICTSI: Global container terminal operator headquartered in the Philippines with international port concessions. Comparable as a multi-port terminal operator with growing emerging-market and Americas exposure; differs in being primarily container-focused.

Direct peers

• SSA Marine / Carrix: One of the largest independent marine terminal operators and stevedores in the Americas, with deep U.S. Gulf and breakbulk exposure. Directly comparable as a multi-port terminal operator offering stevedoring, terminal, and equipment services to similar cargo types (steel, lumber, autos, containers).
• Ceres Terminals: Independent marine terminal operator providing stevedoring, terminal, and bulk handling services across U.S. and Canadian ports. Directly comparable mid-size peer with similar breakbulk, bulk, and project cargo exposure.
• Logistec: Canadian-based marine terminal operator with U.S. footprint providing stevedoring, terminal, and cargo handling for breakbulk, bulk, and containers. Directly comparable on service mix and customer type; smaller scale and primarily Atlantic/Great Lakes exposure.

Regional players

• TOTE Maritime: U.S. Jones Act carrier and terminal operator focused on Puerto Rico and Gulf trade lanes. Comparable on Ro-Ro and breakbulk Gulf exposure; differs in being ocean carrier-integrated with narrower geographic footprint.

Others

• G2 Ocean: Joint venture breakbulk ocean carrier (Gearbulk and Grieg) and existing strategic partner of C/PA at the Lumber Corridor Facility. Comparable as a breakbulk/forest-products counterpart and ecosystem partner rather than direct terminal competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cooperportsamerica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/c-pa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Cooper/Ports America