Metro Ports

What Metro Ports does

Metro Ports (legal name Metropolitan Stevedore Company) is a privately held U.S. maritime stevedoring and terminal operations company headquartered at 3806 Worsham Avenue, Long Beach, California, tracing its origins to 1923 and operating under parent holding company Nautilus International Holding Corporation, which was established in 2004. The company provides loading and unloading of vessels (bulk commodities such as grain, petroleum coke, coal, sulfur, soda ash, cement, sand, gravel, aggregates, and dry/liquid fertilizers; breakbulk and project cargo including steel, railcars, wind towers, military cargo, yachts, and RORO), full terminal management services, cruise terminal operations (Metro Cruise Services), and terminal security (TermSec). Operations span 20+ ports across the West Coast, East Coast, Gulf Coast, and Great Lakes, structured around four wholly-owned operating subsidiaries—Suderman Contracting Stevedores, Southeast Crescent Shipping Company, Pacific Warehouse Company, and Great Lakes Stevedoring LLC.

The company's underlying technology stack centers on modern cargo handling equipment (including Tier 4 ultra-low emissions locomotive engines), computer systems for dispatching, processing, billing, and accounting, and extensive in-house repair and maintenance facilities. Environmental engineering is a notable component: Metro Ports has transitioned Port of Long Beach operations to renewable diesel (R99), achieving an 85% carbon emissions reduction, and operates under Green Marine environmental certification at 10 terminal locations while maintaining compliance with CARB, AQMD, and EPA requirements. The breakbulk superintendents hold over 200 years of combined experience, and the broader Metro Group organization carries 150+ years of corporate experience.

Metro Ports generates revenue through professional services contracts (stevedoring) and managed services contracts (terminal operations), with pricing set on a quote basis and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales: a business development team pursues new terminal management contracts via competitive bidding (e.g., the Canpotex Portland Bulk Terminal award, Port of Vancouver Terminal 2), while regional directors manage ongoing operations across geographies. Customers include port authorities and operators (e.g., Port of Long Beach), commodity producers and traders (Canpotex, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Polaris Materials), global trading houses (Mitsui USA, 20+ years), ocean carriers, 3PLs, and cruise lines—delivered through direct contractual relationships rather than channel partners. As of early 2026, the company is in exclusive negotiations with Brookfield and the Port of Long Beach for a transformational 100-acre Pier S express container terminal project that would add 1.8 million TEU of capacity.

Name

Metro Ports

Legal name

Metropolitan Stevedore Company

Website

https://metroports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices21 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Stevedoring Services: Loading and unloading of vessels including bulk commodities (grain, petroleum coke, coal, sulfur, soda ash, cement, sand, gravel, aggregates, dry and liquid fertilizer products), breakbulk cargo (steel, railcars, wind towers, military cargo), and special cargo. Services include certified material handling equipment, soft gear, and superintendents with over 200 years of combined experience.
2. Terminal Operations Management: Full terminal management services at port facilities including vessel operations, cargo handling, rail interface, and inventory management. Includes cruise terminal operations and terminal security services through affiliated companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Metro Ports is a U.S. terminal operator and stevedoring company providing bulk and breakbulk cargo handling, full terminal operations management, cruise terminal services, and terminal security across 20+ ports on the West Coast, East Coast, Gulf Coast, and Great Lakes. The company loads and unloads vessels carrying bulk commodities (grain, petroleum coke, coal, sulfur, cement, fertilizers) and breakbulk/project cargo (steel, railcars, wind towers, military cargo, RORO), while managing full terminals through long-term contracts with port authorities and commodity producers. Services are delivered by an experienced union workforce, supported by modern cargo handling equipment, computer-based dispatching/billing systems, and certified environmental programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bulk Operations Industry-leading national stevedore and terminal operator service for handling bulk commodities including grain, petroleum coke, coal, sulfur, soda ash, cement, sand, gravel, aggregates, and dry and liquid fertilizer products. Intended for commodity producers, traders, and port operators across U.S. bulk ports.
• Breakbulk & Project Cargo Operations Management of general cargo and major project cargo including steel, railcars, wind towers, military cargo, yachts, and roll-on/roll-off (RORO) operations on U.S. East, West, and Gulf Coasts. Targeted at shipping companies, project cargo owners, military, and government customers requiring certified equipment.
• Cruise Terminal Operations Cruise terminal operations and passenger services delivered through Metro Cruise Services for cruise operators at U.S. cruise ports.
• Terminal Security Operations Terminal security operations services delivered through affiliated TermSec operating company for port facilities and terminal operators.
• Terminal Management Services Full terminal management services including stevedoring, warehousing, vessel operations, and terminal activities, expedited by computer technology for dispatching, processing, billing and accounting. Includes long-term bulk terminal contracts such as the Canpotex Portland Bulk Terminal at Port of Portland, Oregon.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% reduction in carbon emissions from Port of Long Beach operations through renewable diesel (R99) transition
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BrookfieldcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026Brookfield is in exclusive negotiations with Metro Ports and the Port of Long Beach for development of a new 100-acre express container terminal at Pier S. The project would add 1.8 million TEU capacity to the port and represents a major infrastructure development opportunity for Metro Ports.
• Port of Long BeachcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026Port of Long Beach is collaborating with Metro Ports on Pier S express container terminal development. Metro Ports operates at Berths 212-214 and Pier G at the port. The partnership includes $3.2 billion in expansion projects including $2 billion Pier B on-dock rail facility.
• Nautilus International Holding CorporationcoreOthersNautilus International Holding Corporation was established in 2004 by Metro Ports and holds all companies established or acquired as Metro expanded geographically and by product line. Nautilus logo appears on Metro Ports website indicating close corporate affiliation.
• Canpotex LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanpotex awarded Metro Ports the Terminal Management Services contract for Portland Bulk Terminal (PBT) at Terminal 5 in the Port of Portland, Oregon. The facility supports global agriculture through potash fertilizer supply to worldwide markets.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Metro Ports