Elbclearing

What Elbclearing does

Elbclearing GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned maritime service provider headquartered at the Seaport of Stade-Bützfleth in Lower Saxony, Germany, founded in October 1972 when DOW Chemicals began operations at the Port of Stade. The company delivers a comprehensive suite of port call services — ships agency, mooring and unmooring, towage, logistics, cargo handling, stevedoring, storage, boat/launch service, water depth preservation, and stores/spares delivery — directly to commercial vessels and terminal operators on a 24/7 basis. Its primary customers are the industrial terminal operators and chemical shippers at the Port of Stade, including DOW Chemical, Aluminium Oxide Stade (AOS), Hafenbetriebsgesellschaft mbH (HBG), and BUSS Terminal Stade, with Gaschem Services named as an agency client for gas tanker calls.

The company's technical footprint is built on owned physical assets rather than software. It operates two specialized vessels: the Elbclearing 3, a 20.71m push tugboat powered by a 515 kW Skoda engine with 9.0-ton bollard pull, and the Elbclearing 8, a 36.26m work boat and cargo ferry with 191-ton loading capacity, Schottel rudder propellers, and a 60-ton hydraulic ramp. Elbclearing 8 is certified to operate in Zones 2–4 and the Port of Hamburg. The company also operates a cargo handling facility and workshop at Ruthenstrom on the Krautsand peninsula (commissioned 1983), manages the Nord-West-Pier via its Hafenbetriebs-GmbH & Co. KG subsidiary, and holds a long-standing cooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Technology and Transport of Lower Saxony that produced the BÜTZFLETH firefighting tugboat in 1978.

Elbclearing generates revenue through professional service fees and transaction-based vessel charter income, with pricing negotiated per vessel call or contract (no public pricing). Distribution is direct and on-site: services are delivered by the company's own vessels and personnel at the port, with inbound traffic coordinated through 24/7 agency contacts. The company is in its third generation of family ownership under Managing Director Marcus P.E. Schlichting, with no external institutional investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and operating geographies confined primarily to Stade-Bützfleth and adjacent Elbe zones. The operating model is best characterized as a vertically integrated, incumbent port-services specialist whose competitive position depends on physical proximity, regulatory compliance capabilities, and long-tenured customer relationships rather than technology differentiation.

Name

Elbclearing

Legal name

Elbclearing GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://elbclearing.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Elbclearing is a family-owned maritime services provider at the Seaport of Stade-Bützfleth, Germany, delivering ship agency, towage, mooring, cargo handling, stevedoring, and logistics to commercial vessels and industrial terminal operators including DOW Chemical and AOS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stade

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

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. Maritime Services: Comprehensive port services including ships agency, mooring/unmooring, towage, logistics, cargo handling, stevedoring, storage, boat/launch services, water depth preservation, and stores/spares delivery. Revenue is generated through service fees for each discrete maritime service provided to vessels at port.
2. Vessel Charter and Transportation: Charter services for specialized vessels including push tugboats and work boats/cargo ferries for cargo transport and maritime operations in the Stade port area and surrounding zones.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Elbclearing GmbH & Co. KG is a maritime service provider at the Seaport of Stade-Bützfleth, Germany, offering comprehensive port services including ships agency, mooring/unmooring, towage, logistics, cargo handling, stevedoring, storage, boat/launch service, water depth preservation, and stores/spares delivery. The company operates its own fleet of specialized vessels (Elbclearing 3 push tugboat and Elbclearing 8 work boat/cargo ferry) and provides 24/7 agency services to commercial vessels calling at the port.

Product overview

Elbclearing GmbH & Co. KG is a maritime service provider offering a comprehensive suite of port operations and logistics services at the Seaport of Stade in Stade-Bützfleth, Germany. The company operates two owned vessels: Elbclearing 3 (a push tugboat) and Elbclearing 8 (a work boat and cargo ferry). The service portfolio encompasses ships agency, mooring and unmooring, towage, logistics, cargo handling, stevedoring, storage, boat/launch service, water depth preservation, and stores/spares delivery to vessels. The company does not offer a software product but provides traditional maritime port services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ships Agency Ship agency services providing port representation and coordination for vessels at the Seaport of Stade.
• Mooring & Unmooring Berthing and unberthing services for vessels including mooring line handling.
• Towage Harbor tugboat services for vessel assist and maneuvering operations in the port.
• Logistics Logistics services for cargo movement and transportation coordination within the port area.
• Cargo Handling Loading and unloading operations for various cargo types including bulk goods and general cargo.
• Stevedoring Dock labor services for cargo stowage and securing operations.
• Storage Warehouse and storage facilities for cargo inventory management.
• Boat/Launch Service Personnel and small cargo transport services via launch boats.
• Water Depth Preservation Maintenance of navigable water depths in the harbor basins (Tiefenerhaltung).
• Stores/Spares Delivery Delivery of provisions and spare parts to vessels alongside or at anchor.
• Elbclearing 3 (Push Tugboat) Push tugboat operating in zones 2-4. Length 20.71m, beam 5.82m, draft 2.49m, bollard pull 9.0 tons, powered by Skoda 6-27,5 A2L engine delivering 515 kW at 600 RPM, max speed 10 knots.
• Elbclearing 8 (Work Boat/Cargo Ferry) Work boat and cargo ferry/barge. Length 36.26m, beam 10.40m, loading capacity 191 tons (without anchor piles), equipped with 3x Deutz F8L 714 main engines (272 kW total), operates in zones 2-4 and Port of Hamburg.

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

One partnership is on record.

• Ministry of Economy, Technology and Transport of Lower SaxonycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1978Cooperation established in 1978 for the launch of the firefighting tugboat 'BÜTZFLETH'. The Ministry of Economy, Technology and Transport of Lower Saxony partnered with Elbclearing to provide firefighting capabilities at the port, demonstrating the company's role in port safety infrastructure.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• BLG Logistics Group AG & Co. KG: Bremen-based port logistics group with operations in automobile, container, and contract logistics. Comparable broader port service capabilities relative to Elbclearing's integrated offering.
• HHLA Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG: Major Hamburg port and logistics group operating container terminals, intermodal transport, and consulting. Larger incumbent with overlapping cargo handling, port services, and logistics capabilities relative to Elbclearing.
• EUROGATE GmbH & Co. KGaA: Leading German container terminal operator with facilities across multiple ports including Hamburg and Bremerhaven. Broad incumbent in port/cargo handling space overlapping with Elbclearing's cargo handling and stevedoring services.

Regional players

• Niedersachsen Ports GmbH & Co. KG: State-owned port authority operating Stade-Bützfleth alongside other Lower Saxony ports. Comparable regional port operations and infrastructure management to the environment in which Elbclearing provides services.
• Bremenports GmbH & Co. KG: Port management company for Bremen and Bremerhaven handling infrastructure, vessel traffic services, and port operations. Comparable regional port authority/operator in the German North Sea market.
• Lübecker Hafen-Gesellschaft mbH: Operator of the Port of Lübeck providing cargo handling, warehousing, and ferry services. Comparable regional port operator model serving industrial and breakbulk customers.
• Cuxport GmbH: Cuxhaven-based multi-purpose port operator handling bulk, breakbulk, and project cargo. Comparable regional port service offering to Elbclearing's Stade-Bützfleth operations.

Direct peers

• Fairplay Towage Group: Major Hamburg-based harbor towage operator providing vessel assist, mooring, and ship-handling services across German North Sea ports. Closest direct peer for Elbclearing's towage and mooring operations at Stade.
• Bugsier Reederei- und Bergungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG: Hamburg-based tug, towage, and salvage operator serving German ports. Comparable in core towage services, vessel assist, and port-call support functions to Elbclearing.
• Hammonia Towage GmbH & Co. KG: German harbor towage specialist active in Hamburg and surrounding North Sea ports. Direct competitor for harbor tug work and vessel-handling contracts comparable to those at Stade.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ELBCLEARING
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elbclearing
• Instagraminstagram.com/elbclearing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Elbclearing