Propeller Club of Houston

What Propeller Club of Houston does

The Propeller Club of Houston, formally the International Propeller Club of the United States – Port of Houston, is a Houston-based non-profit professional association and a chartered chapter ('Port') of the International Propeller Club of the United States, a federation with more than 80 chapters in maritime cities worldwide and approximately 30 in foreign locations. Founded as part of that international network (the data references both a 1922 founding entry and a 2026 copyright year on current web material; no specific Houston chapter founding date is given), the organization's stated mission is to support maritime commerce and the American Merchant Marine in the Houston region and to provide education and scholarships to the next generation of maritime leaders.

The club's core offerings are structured as a membership-based service rather than a technology product. Revenue mechanics consist of recurring annual individual memberships — $110 for new members and $95 for renewals — supplemented by donations processed through PayPal and corporate sponsorship packages for events and scholarships. Programmatic surface is limited to four offerings: new and renewal memberships, a scholarship awards program covering students at University of Houston, Texas A&M Galveston, San Jacinto Maritime, and Texas Southern University, monthly networking events (happy hours, an annual clay shoot, and industry luncheons), and corporate sponsorships. There is no proprietary technology platform, no application or API, and no disclosed AI or data infrastructure; the website is a GoDaddy-hosted site handling membership, orders, and an event calendar.

The customer base is composed of two horizontal segments: maritime industry professionals (shipowners, agents, operators, terminal operators, law and insurance practitioners) who use the club for networking and advocacy, and maritime students who benefit from scholarships and mentoring. The chapter pursues a community-led go-to-market model — word of mouth, referrals, and recurring in-person events — and pursues charitable partnerships with organizations such as the Houston International Seafarers' Center and Today's Harbor for Children, while maintaining strategic alignment with the West Gulf Maritime Association and the Port of Houston Authority through overlapping board representation.

Name

Propeller Club of Houston

Legal name

Propeller Club of Houston

Website

https://propellerclubhouston.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Propeller Club of Houston is a non-profit membership association serving maritime industry professionals in the Houston region. It provides individual memberships, networking events, scholarships for maritime students, and corporate sponsorships as a chartered chapter of the International Propeller Club of the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Trade Association Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing) (MPAKABAH)

Keywords

• Maritime trade association
• Maritime networking events
• Shipping industry advocacy
• Maritime education scholarships
• Port commerce promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide the primary revenue stream. New members pay $110.00 and renewals are $95.00, creating a recurring subscription-based revenue model.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations to support its mission of providing education and scholarships to the next generation of maritime leaders. Donations are processed through PayPal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Propeller Club of Houston is a membership-based nonprofit professional association serving maritime industry professionals in the Houston region. It sells individual memberships ($110 new / $95 renewal annually), runs recurring networking events such as happy hours, clay shoots, and industry luncheons, provides scholarships to students at maritime programs, and offers corporate sponsorship opportunities for events and educational programs.

Product overview

The Propeller Club of Houston is a membership-based maritime industry organization offering individual memberships (new memberships at $110/year, renewals at $95/year), scholarship awards for maritime students, and regular networking events including monthly happy hours, an annual clay shoot, and an industry leaders luncheon. The organization also provides sponsorship opportunities for companies to support the maritime community. The club is part of a larger international network of over 80 Propeller Club chapters worldwide dedicated to promoting maritime commerce and education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Membership Individual new-member enrollment in the Propeller Club of Houston at $110.00 per year, granting access to the International Propeller Club of the United States Port of Houston chapter's maritime networking events, community activities, and scholarship ecosystem. Intended for maritime industry professionals in the Houston region.
• Membership Renewal Annual renewal of an existing Propeller Club of Houston individual membership at a discounted dues rate of $95.00, continuing access to chapter events, networking, and the broader international Propeller Club network.
• Scholarship Awards Program Educational scholarship program of the Propeller Club of Houston that provides financial support to students enrolled in maritime programs at partner universities, including University of Houston, Texas A&M University Galveston, San Jacinto Maritime, and Texas Southern University, as part of the chapter's mission to develop the next generation of maritime leaders.
• Networking Events Recurring in-person networking programming for Propeller Club of Houston members, including monthly happy hours, an annual clay shoot, and industry leaders luncheons that bring together maritime professionals across the Galveston-Houston region.
• Sponsorship Opportunities Corporate sponsorship packages for Propeller Club of Houston events and scholarship programs, enabling maritime-facing companies and organizations to support the chapter's networking programming and student scholarship funds.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Houston International Seafarers' CenterminorOthersThe Propeller Club of Houston supports the Houston International Seafarers' Center through charitable donations. The club also has board representation through member Tom Deen who serves on the Board of Directors.
• Todays Harbor for Children (formerly Boys and Girls Harbor)minorOthersThe organization supports Todays Harbor for Children through charitable donations when able. Member Tom Deen serves as Advisory Director on the Board of Directors.
• International Propeller Club of the United StatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Propeller Club of Houston is a member chapter ('Port') of the International Propeller Club of the United States. The international organization has 80+ chapters worldwide including 30+ in foreign cities. Local chapter president Stuart Smith serves on the International Executive Committee as International Treasurer.
• West Gulf Maritime AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple board members have ties to WGMA. James Nash serves as Director of Maritime Affairs at WGMA. The organizations share membership bases of steamship owners, operators, agents, stevedores, and terminal operators.
• Port of Houston AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Mervin Schaefer previously served in port sales and marketing with the Port of Houston Authority. The organizations share common interests in promoting maritime commerce.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Marine Manufacturers Association: Larger US trade association for the marine industry, primarily recreational boating. Operates in the same maritime ecosystem but with a different (consumer-facing) focus and far greater scale and resources than a single Propeller Club chapter.

Direct peers

• West Gulf Maritime Association: Regional maritime industry trade association covering the West Gulf region with shared membership base of steamship owners, agents, stevedores, and terminal operators. Has a mutual partnership with the Propeller Club of Houston and overlapping board representation.
• Houston International Seafarers' Center: Houston-based charitable organization supporting seafarer welfare; receives donations from Propeller Club of Houston and shares board representation. Comparable in mission overlap (maritime community support) though narrower in scope, focused on seafarer welfare rather than broad industry networking.
• International Propeller Club of the United States: Parent organization of the Propeller Club of Houston, comprising 80+ chapters worldwide. Functions as both an umbrella peer and the chapter's franchise-like network anchor, with shared mission of promoting maritime commerce and supporting merchant marine.
• Lake Carriers' Association: Trade association for Great Lakes vessel operators; comparable as a US-focused maritime industry association providing advocacy, networking, and member services to commercial maritime stakeholders, though focused on a specific inland segment.
• Maritime Association of the Port of NY/NJ: Port-focused maritime industry association serving the Port of New York and New Jersey, comparable in function to the Propeller Club of Houston for the largest US East Coast port complex—delivering advocacy, networking, and member services to commercial maritime stakeholders.

Regional players

• Pacific Merchant Shipping Association: West Coast trade association representing ocean carriers, terminals, and maritime businesses in California, Oregon, and Washington. Functionally comparable as a regional maritime industry association providing advocacy and networking, though geographically distinct from Houston.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Propeller Club of Houston