Mares Shipping

What Mares Shipping does

Mares Shipping GmbH is a privately held Hamburg-based specialist distributor of maritime and industrial-plant spare parts, founded in 1975 as a vessel-chartering firm and fully pivoted to spare-parts supply by 1992 under Managing Director Claus Witt (now CEO). The company maintains a proprietary catalogue of more than 200,000 product SKUs spanning marine diesel engines (MaK, MAN B&W, MAN Nürnberg, Caterpillar, Sulzer, Crepelle, Deutz MWM), pumps (Allweiler, Herborner, Azcue, Kral, Bornemann, Netzsch Mohno), plate heat exchangers (Alfa Laval, GEA Ecoflex, Kelvion, APV, Sondex, Tranter), water treatment plants, compressors (Sperre, Hatlapa, Sabroe, Atlas Copco, Bitzer), and separators (Westfalia, Mahle NFV, Alfa Laval).

The technology backbone is Microsoft Navision ERP for order, article, supplier and order-data maintenance, supplemented by integrations with maritime procurement platforms ShipServ, Mespas and SIS for electronic trading. Operations are anchored in a 1,100 m² owned warehouse in Hamburg (Luisenweg 154) plus the headquarters at Mattentwiete 8, enabling rapid delivery of stocked items. The company holds exclusive global distribution rights for Crepelle engine spare parts under a March 2016 agreement with QuantiParts BV (a Wärtsilä company) and a Bosch distribution partnership for large engine spare parts; in 2025 it acquired Fr. Heinrich Jens Schiffsmaschinen & Co., strengthening its DEUTZ/MWM capabilities.

The commercial model is transaction-based B2B distribution with quote-based pricing, structured around dedicated product managers and sales teams for Engines, Pumps, Compressors, Separators, Plate Heat Exchangers and Water Treatment, and three customer-segment teams: Engine Spare Parts, Cruise Ship Technical Supply, and Marine Spare Parts. End customers include shipping companies and ship management firms (tankers, bulkers, passenger, container, tugs, offshore), shipyards, shipping agencies, and industrial/power-plant operators across more than 50 countries via direct Hamburg-based sales plus field representatives in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Fiji) and China. Mares holds AEO customs-trusted-trader status, GDPR compliance, and memberships in ISSA, IMPA, VHBS, VDS and LBA, and serves 700+ clients with approximately 80-90 employees under Managing Director Carsten Bienst (appointed July 2023) alongside founder-Chairman Eckehardt Bauer.

Name

Mares Shipping

Legal name

Mares Shipping GmbH

Website

https://mares.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Mares Shipping GmbH is a Hamburg-based, privately held specialist distributor founded in 1975, supplying 200,000+ OEM and genuine marine and industrial-plant spare parts to shipping companies, shipyards, agencies, and power-plant operators across more than 50 countries from an owned 1,100 m² Hamburg warehouse, holding global CREPELLE and Bosch distribution rights.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Spare Parts Supply: Supply of genuine and OEM spare parts for ships from various manufacturers including diesel engines, pumps, compressors, separators, plate heat exchangers, and water treatment plants. Sales are one-time transactions for specific customer orders.
2. Technical Equipment Supply: Supply of technical equipment for ships and industrial plants. Primarily one-time transactional sales with no recurring revenue component.
3. Crepelle Global Distribution: Official global distributor for CREPELLE engine spare parts since March 1, 2016. Authorized by QuantiParts BV (Wärtsilä company) to distribute and provide technical service for Crepelle engines worldwide.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mares Shipping GmbH supplies an extensive range of genuine and OEM spare parts and technical equipment for ships and industrial plants. The Hamburg-based company offers diesel engine parts, pumps, plate heat exchangers, compressors, water treatment plants, and separators from multiple manufacturers, delivered through direct sales and international representations to shipping companies, ship management organisations, shipyards, and shipping agencies in over 50 countries.

Product overview

Mares Shipping GmbH operates as a specialized maritime spare parts distributor since 1975, offering an almost endless range of ship spare parts and equipment for industrial plants. The core product portfolio includes diesel engines (MaK, Deutz MWM, MAN, Crepelle, Deutz KHD), pumps (Allweiler, Herborner, Azcue, Kral, Bornemann, Seepex, Netzsch Mohno), plate heat exchangers (Alfa Laval, GEA Ecoflex, Kelvion, APV, Sondex, Tranter), water treatment plants (Nirex, Jowa, RWO, DVZ, Wedeco, EVAC), compressors (Sperre, TMC Tamrotor, Bock, Hatlapa, Sabroe, Atlas Copco, Bitzer), and separators (B+V Turbulo, Mahle NFV, Westfalia, Alfa Laval). The company serves as official global distributor for CREPELLE engines (via QuantiParts/Wärtsilä partnership since 2016) and as a Bosch distribution partner for large engine spare parts. In 2025, Mares acquired Fr. Heinrich Jens Schiffsmaschinen & Co., strengthening its DEUTZ and MWM engine spare parts capabilities. A unique database of over 200,000 products enables single-source supply with rapid delivery from their 1100 m² Hamburg warehouse.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diesel Engine Spare Parts Comprehensive supply of spare parts for marine diesel engines from manufacturers including MaK, Deutz MWM, MAN, Crepelle, Caterpillar, and Sulzer for vessel propulsion systems. Targeted at shipping companies, ship management firms, and shipyards requiring engine maintenance parts.
• Marine and Industrial Pumps
• Plate Heat Exchangers Heat transfer equipment from Alfa Laval, GEA Ecoflex, Kelvion, APV, SPX, Sondex, Swep, and Tranter for marine engine cooling and HVAC systems.
• Water Treatment Plants Systems for fresh water generation and wastewater treatment from Nirex, Jowa, RWO, DVZ, JETS, Ueberall, Renken, Wedeco, Serck Como, and EVAC for maritime applications.
• Marine Compressors Air and gas compressors from Sperre, TMC Tamrotor, Bock, Hatlapa, Sabroe, Atlas Copco, Sauer & Sohn, Bitzer, and Alup for shipboard air systems and engine starting.
• Separators Fuel treatment and oil/water separators from B+V Turbulo, Mahle NFV, Westfalia, Alfa Laval, Mitsubishi, RWO, and DVZ for engine room applications.
• Crepelle Engine Distribution and Technical Service As official global distributor for CREPELLE engines since 2016, Mares provides spare parts and technical service for Crepelle marine engines worldwide in partnership with QuantiParts BV (a Wärtsilä company).
• IHM Maintenance Services Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) maintenance support, providing item-based hazardous materials declarations to help shipowners maintain compliance with EU Ship Recycling Regulation and Hong Kong Convention.

Quantifiable outcome

• On average, only 4.7% of all PO-items are truly IHM-relevant, enabling efficient and compliant Inventory of Hazardous Materials maintenance

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

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

• QuantiParts BV (Wärtsilä company)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2016Official global distributor for CREPELLE engine spare parts and technical service. Partnership with QuantiParts BV, a Wärtsilä company, established March 1, 2016. Mares is the worldwide representative for Crepelle engines with commitment to keeping Crepelle engines running.
• BoschcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBOSCH distribution partner for large engine spare parts, expanding product portfolio and strengthening market position in marine engine components.
• ISSA (International Ship Suppliers Association)coreOthersIndustry association membership for international ship suppliers, providing networking, standards, and industry representation.
• IMPA (International Marine Purchasing Association)coreOthersIndustry association membership for marine purchasing professionals, facilitating global networking and best practices in ship supply.
• VHBS (Verband der Handelsschifffahrt)minorOthersGerman shipping trade association membership for commercial shipping companies.
• AEO (Authorised Economic Operator)coreOthersCertified Authorized Economic Operator status for customs simplification and streamlined import/export processes.
• VDS (Verband Deutscher Schiffszulieferer)minorOthersGerman association of ship suppliers, representing interests of German ship supply industry.
• Fr. Heinrich Jens Schiffsmaschinen & Co.flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired in 2025 through share deal. Hamburg-based specialist in worldwide spare parts service for DEUTZ and MWM engines. Founded in 1953 as authorized DEUTZ representative. Known for expertise in identifying spare parts across all engine series, extensive engine database, and large inventory for rapid global delivery. This acquisition strengthens Mares Shipping's position in the global maritime service sector and expands technical capabilities and product portfolio.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mansour Marine Services (MMS): Egypt-based marine spare parts and technical supply company serving shipping companies across the Middle East and Africa with similar single-source supply of engine, deck, and engine-room parts. Closest direct comparable by business model, customer base, and product range.

Broad incumbents

• Wilhelmsen Ship Management (Wilhelmsen Marine Products): Global maritime services group operating ship management, marine products distribution, and ship supply at much larger scale. Overlaps with Mares on marine spare parts supply but as part of a much broader portfolio of maritime services.
• Kongsberg Maritime: Large maritime technology and equipment supplier with service and spare-parts operations for engine room and ship systems. Overlaps with Mares on technical marine equipment distribution, though with much broader scope.
• Alfa Laval Marine: Global manufacturer and service provider of heat exchangers, separators, and fluid handling equipment — categories Mares distributes for Alfa Laval. Direct supply-chain partner but also a competitive reference point for marine equipment spare-parts.
• Rolls-Royce Power Systems (MTU): Major diesel and gas engine manufacturer and service provider for marine, power, and industrial markets. Overlaps with Mares in engine spare parts distribution and aftermarket service across MaK/MTU installed base.
• Caterpillar Marine Power: Global manufacturer of marine engines (including MaK brand) with own aftermarket service network. Mares distributes spare parts for Caterpillar marine engines; competitive overlap in service and parts.
• MAN Energy Solutions: Leading supplier of large marine diesel engines (MAN B&W) and turbomachinery with global service network. Mares distributes MAN engine spare parts, but MAN PrimeServ is the OEM aftermarket competitor in the same engine base.

Emerging players

• Wärtsilä Services (QuantiParts BV): Wärtsilä's aftermarket services arm, which licenses Mares as global Crepelle distributor via QuantiParts. Competes in marine engine spare parts and service but at OEM scale; relevant both as partner and as potential vertical competitor.
• Heinzmann GmbH & Co. KG: German specialist in engine management systems, spare parts, and service for medium-speed diesel engines used in marine and industrial applications. Comparable in scale and product focus to Mares' engine-spares business.
• IKM Gruppen (IKM Subsea / IKM Marine): Norwegian marine services and equipment supplier providing spare parts, technical services, and product sales to shipping and offshore operators. Similar mid-sized B2B marine technical supply profile, focused on the Nordic/European market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

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 Mares Shipping