SOMALOIR

What SOMALOIR does

SOMALOIR is a privately held French maritime shipping agency specializing in Roll-on/Roll-off (RO-RO) logistics solutions, operating since 1976 from its headquarters at the Terminal Roulier in Montoir-de-Bretagne within the Grand Port Montoir de Nantes-Saint Nazaire. The company delivers end-to-end RO-RO supply chain management for the automotive industry (its primary vertical), as well as aeronautical project cargo and third-party logistics providers, with operational reach across France, Spain, Belgium, Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, and the United States. Its service offering comprises scheduled maritime lines (Motorway of the Sea Montoir-Vigo-Montoir with a 29-hour transit time, an extension corridor to Zeebrugge-Tanger-Casablanca, Mediterranean and Atlantic milk run services), port handling operations executed through wholly-owned subsidiaries MANOCEAN and MSO, and value-added services via the Centre Atlantique Roulier (CAR) — a shared documentary control and vehicle preparation centre providing pre-delivery inspection (PDI), cleaning, and accessory fitting.

The company's physical asset base includes 21 hectares of new-vehicle parking, 4 hectares of trailer parking, an XXL quay for side-ramp vessels, floating pontoons for axial-ramp ships, and a railway-connected terminal enabling multimodal logistics. SOMALOIR processes approximately 400 ships per year and is advancing a "Smart Port Environment" digital initiative in partnership with Grand Port Montoir de Nantes-Saint Nazaire and major car manufacturers, alongside participation in maritime decarbonization programs via Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique, Mission hydrogène MH2, Néoline, and Airseas, and an automotive innovation partnership with ID4CAR. Revenue mechanics are transaction-fee-based for transportation services, governed by TLF (Union des entreprises de Transport et Logistique de France) general conditions of sale, with no publicly disclosed pricing.

Name

SOMALOIR

Legal name

Somaloir

Website

https://somaloir.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SOMALOIR is a French maritime shipping agency specializing in Roll-on/Roll-off (RO-RO) logistics, offering scheduled maritime transport, port handling via subsidiaries MANOCEAN and MSO, and vehicle preparation services for the automotive, aeronautical, and logistics industries across Europe, North Africa, and the US Gulf Coast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Logistics Services

NAICS

Marine Cargo Handling (48832), Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLAHACAI

High & Heavy / Project Ro-Ro Handling (Construction, Mining & Oversize Equipment)

Transportation & Logistics/Ports, Terminals & Maritime Services/Ro-Ro / Vehicle Terminals

SECONDARYTLACABAH

Project & OOG/Breakbulk Ocean Forwarding (Out-of-Gauge, RoRo)

Transportation & Logistics/Freight Forwarding & Customs Brokerage/Ocean Freight Forwarding (FCL/LCL)

Keywords

• Roll-on roll-off shipping
• Maritime freight forwarding
• Port handling services
• Vehicle logistics
• Project cargo transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Montoir-de-bretagne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. RO-RO Maritime Transportation Services: Transportation services for roll-on/roll-off cargo including vehicles, trailers, and heavy equipment via maritime shipping routes

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SOMALOIR is a maritime shipping agency specializing in RO-RO (Roll-on/Roll-off) logistics solutions, offering scheduled maritime lines, port handling operations, vehicle preparation services, and project cargo transport for automotive, aeronautical, and industrial clients. It operates from the Grand Port Montoir de Nantes-Saint Nazaire in France, handling approximately 400 ships per year through subsidiaries MANOCEAN and MSO.

Product overview

SOMALOIR operates as a RO-RO (Roll-on/Roll-off) maritime logistics specialist offering an integrated suite of services. The core offering consists of RO-RO Solutions and Maritime Lines providing scheduled maritime transport on routes including Motorway of the Sea (Montoir-Vigo-Montoir), milk run services, and extension routes across Atlantic and Mediterranean corridors. Port Handling Operations are delivered through subsidiaries Manocéan and MSO, processing 400 ships annually with experienced personnel and modern equipment. The Centre Atlantique Roulier (CAR) provides shared documentary control and vehicle preparation services including PDI, cleaning, and accessory fitting. Project Cargo Services handles oversized and complex cargo for automotive and aeronautical clients. Smart Port Environment encompasses digital transformation initiatives for terminal optimization and port flow management in partnership with Grand Port Montoir de Nantes-Saint Nazaire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RO-RO Solutions Roll-on/Roll-off maritime logistics services providing complete supply chain management solutions, including maritime transport, port handling, and logistics optimization for automotive and industrial cargo.
• Maritime Lines Scheduled maritime RO-RO transport services including Motorway of the Sea (Montoir-Vigo-Montoir), extension routes (Zeebrugge-Tanger-Casablanca), and milk run services connecting Mediterranean and Atlantic ports.
• Port Handling Operations Port handling services operated through subsidiaries Manocéan and MSO, including stevedoring, cargo handling, and industrial logistics with a fleet of recent equipment (stackers, tug masters, forklifts).
• Centre Atlantique Roulier (CAR) Shared documentary control and vehicle preparation centre offering pre-delivery inspection (PDI), cleaning, and accessory fitting services for new vehicles.
• Project Cargo Services Specialized handling and transport of oversized, heavy, and complex cargo for automotive and aeronautical industry clients.
• Smart Port Environment Digital transformation and port flow optimization services developed in partnership with Grand Port Montoir de Nantes-Saint Nazaire and major car manufacturers, featuring 21 hectares of new vehicle storage, 4 hectares of trailer storage, and railway-connected terminal infrastructure.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400 ships per year handling capacity
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grand Port Montoir de Nantes-Saint Nazaire (GPM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for digital transformation of the terminal and optimization of port flow management. Collaboration on smart port initiatives and digitalization of port operations.
• Pôle Mer Bretagne AtlantiquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in the maritime cluster focused on zero carbon energy transition and innovative maritime projects. Committed to 'objective zéro carbone' approach to energy transition.
• NéolineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovative project in maritime transportation being followed as part of zero carbon energy transition initiatives.
• Mission hydrogène MH2minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHydrogen propulsion project being monitored as part of sustainable maritime innovation initiatives.
• ID4CARminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomotive innovation cluster partnership supporting automotive industry development and logistics optimization.
• AirseasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirborne wind energy project being followed as part of sustainable innovation portfolio.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wallenius Wilhelmsen: Global deep-sea RO-RO operator providing vehicle, high-and-heavy and breakbulk ocean transport. Directly comparable to Somaloir's RO-RO maritime logistics and port handling offering, serving overlapping automotive OEM customers.
• Höegh Autoliners: One of the world's largest operators of pure car and truck carriers (PCTC), offering deep-sea RO-RO services with vehicle handling terminals. Directly comparable on RO-RO trade lanes and automotive OEM customer base.
• NYK RoRo (Nippon Yusen Kaisha): Major Japanese RO-RO car carrier operator moving new vehicles globally, with port-side vehicle handling services. Directly comparable business model across transportation and terminal handling for automotive customers.
• Hyundai Glovis: Global logistics arm of Hyundai Motor Group, operating a large fleet of PCTC/RO-RO vessels for finished vehicle transport. Comparable as a vertically integrated automotive shipping and port-handling provider.
• EUKOR Car Carriers: Pure car and truck carrier operator serving European and global automotive manufacturers with deep-sea RO-RO capacity. Comparable RO-RO service offering and automotive OEM customer profile.
• Compagnie d'Affrètement et de Transport (CATL): French vehicle transport and logistics operator specializing in finished vehicle distribution and RO-RO handling. Directly comparable vertical (vehicles) and similar Franco-European terminal style operations.

Regional players

• Brittany Ferries: Operator of RO-RO ferry services connecting France with the UK, Ireland and Spain with extensive vehicle-carrying capacity. Comparable on RO-RO vessel and ramp operations on Western European routes.

Broad incumbents

• CMA CGM: Global container and multi-modal shipping group based in Marseille with RO-RO and vehicle-terminal capabilities through subsidiaries. Comparable as broad ocean logistics incumbent overlapping in port calls and vehicle logistics at Western Mediterranean and Atlantic ports.

Others

• Grand Port Maritime de Nantes Saint-Nazaire: Port authority operating the Montoir-de-Bretagne terminal where Somaloir is based and co-develops digital flow management. Closely coupled ecosystem partner rather than competitor, given the strategic digital transformation partnership.

Emerging players

• LD Ports & Logistics: European vehicle terminal and RO-RO port-handling operator (formerly holding of various vehicle terminals). Comparable as a vehicle port-handling specialist competing for OEM throughput at European hubs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/somaloir

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 SOMALOIR