Byrne, Rice, and Turner

What Byrne, Rice, and Turner does

Byrne, Rice and Turner (BRT Marine) is a privately held marine equipment distributor headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, founded in 1947 and serving commercial marine and barge operators on the Mississippi River, Gulf Coast, and beyond. The company distributes marine deck equipment including winches (manual, electric, and hydra-electric in capacities from 2-ton to 75-ton), capstans, watertight and weathertight doors, marine hatches (oval, rectangular, round, square, flush, quick-acting, and various pressure ratings), chocks, bitts, kevels, and a wide range of specialty deck fittings. Underlying product technology centers on heavy-duty mechanical deck equipment, with the Nabrico-branded DF-156 manual winch series featuring all-steel construction with multi-disc stainless steel braking systems, bronze-bushed bearings, and certified holding capacities verified by independent laboratory testing.

BRT Marine represents more than 70 marine equipment manufacturers, functioning as a one-stop regional supplier with local inventory for quick fulfillment. The product portfolio extends beyond deck equipment into engine room components (battery chargers and converters from Progressive Dynamics), hull items (Duramax shaft bushings, Johnson Cutless bearings, Morse sleeve bearings), navigation aids, pumps, plumbing, safety, galley, and crew quarters equipment. The company also operates a Barge Winch Refurbishing Program offering 40-ton refurbished barge hand winches with a two-year warranty, layering service revenue on top of new equipment distribution.

The go-to-market motion is direct-to-customer via phone (1-800-725-3787), website e-commerce with cart functionality, and downloadable digital catalogs (a general BRT catalog plus 9+ manufacturer-specific catalogs with an interactive index). Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales on a per-unit or quote-based pricing model, with disclosed unit prices ranging from approximately $1,000 for a 2-ton winch to $8,800 for higher-capacity DF-156 manual winch configurations. The company is independently operated with John Rice identified as President, no parent company, no external funding, and no disclosed ownership structure beyond the founders' names preserved in the corporate identity.

Name

Byrne, Rice, and Turner

Legal name

Byrne, Rice and Turner

Website

https://brtmarine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Byrne, Rice and Turner (BRT Marine) is a New Orleans-based marine equipment distributor founded in 1947, supplying winches, capstans, hatches, doors, and deck fittings from over 70 manufacturers to commercial marine and barge operators across the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Equipment Distribution

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Wholesale-Construction & Mining (No Petro) Machinery & Equip (5082)

akta.pro primary industry

Deck Machinery & Mooring Systems (Winches, Windlasses, Capstans) (IMAJAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Deck Fittings & Hardware (Bitts, Fairleads, Cleats, Anchors & Chains) (IMAJAIAK), Hatch Covers, Ramps & Ro-Ro Access Systems (IMAJAIAC), Piping, Valves & Pumps (Deck/Service Systems Components) (IMAJAIAI)

Keywords

• Marine equipment distribution
• Marine deck hardware
• Winches and capstans
• Marine fittings
• Barge equipment supply

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Marine Equipment Distribution: BRT Marine distributes marine deck equipment and supplies from over 70 manufacturers. Revenue is generated through the sale of winches, capstans, hatches, doors, and other marine fittings. They maintain local inventory for quick fulfillment and sell via phone, catalog, and website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Byrne, Rice, and Turner (BRT Marine Supply) is a marine equipment distributor that supplies commercial and barge marine operators with deck equipment, engine room components, hull parts, and related fittings. The company represents more than 70 marine equipment manufacturers and maintains a local inventory of items such as manual, electric, and hydra-electric winches (2-ton to 75-ton capacities), capstans, hatches, watertight and weathertight doors, chocks, bitts, kevels, marine pumps, and battery chargers. BRT also operates a 40-ton barge hand winch refurbishment program with a two-year warranty.

Product overview

Byrne, Rice and Turner (BRT Marine Supply) is a marine equipment distributor serving the marine industry since 1947. They supply deck equipment, engine room components, hull parts, and other marine supplies to the Mississippi River region, Gulf Coast, and beyond. BRT represents over 70 marine equipment manufacturers including Nabrico, Freeman Marine, Duramax, and others, maintaining local inventory of many items. Their product portfolio centers on marine deck hardware including various types of winches (manual, electric, and hydra-electric in capacities from 2-ton to 75-ton), capstans, hatches (oval, rectangular, round, square, flush, quick acting, and more), watertight/weathertight doors, chocks, bitts, and specialty marine fittings. They also supply engine room equipment such as Progressive Dynamics battery chargers and converters, hull components including shaft bushings and bearings from Duramax and Morse, and offer a barge winch refurbishing program with two-year warranty. The company sells products under their own BRT brand as well as sub-brands like Nabrico.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nabrico: NABRICO (National Albany Brake and Industrial Company) is a product brand they represent, specializing in winches and deck fittings including hydraulic/electric capstans, manual winches, and barge equipment.

Products and services

• Manual/Hand Winches

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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.

• Nabrico (NABRICO)coreTechnology or IntegrationNabrico is a key manufacturer represented by BRT Marine. BRT offers the complete line of Nabrico winches and deck fittings including DF-156 Manual Winches (10-75 ton), Hydra-Electric Winches (10-60 ton), and related parts. Nabrico products feature all-steel construction with multi-disc braking systems and stainless steel components.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Wager Company: Manufacturer and supplier of marine winches and deck machinery, including NABRICO-style products, serving barge and inland marine operators. A key upstream principal relationship with regional distributors like BRT and a downstream alternative for end customers.
• Jamestown Marine: Independent marine hardware and industrial supply distributor with overlapping product lines in deck fittings, fasteners, and marine consumables. Comparable in scale and product breadth to BRT Marine and competes in similar Gulf Coast and inland marine channels.
• Fisheries Supply Company: Long-established marine equipment and commercial fishing supply distributor offering deck hardware, winches, navigation, and safety equipment. Comparable independent marine distributor model with a broader catalog focus, providing direct competitive overlap to BRT.
• Imtra: Marine equipment distributor and manufacturer of lighting, controls, and deck hardware sold to commercial and recreational marine markets. Comparable product portfolio overlap in deck hardware and marine distribution model.
• Defender Marine: One of the largest U.S. marine equipment retailers, distributing deck hardware, winches, electronics, and safety gear to both commercial and recreational customers. Direct competitor in marine equipment distribution with significantly larger scale and digital commerce capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Grainger: Massive industrial MRO distributor with marine-relevant product categories including pumps, bearings, valves, and safety equipment. Provides broad-line competitive pressure on BRT for any product category where marine-specific certification is not strictly required.
• West Marine: Largest U.S. marine specialty retailer (owned by Newell Brands) with broad catalog of deck hardware, winches, hatches, and safety equipment. Represents the broad incumbent that exerts pricing and reach pressure on regional independent distributors like BRT.
• Wesco: Global electrical and industrial distributor expanding into marine and offshore MRO supply. Represents broad incumbent competitive pressure on BRT's engine room and hull product categories.

Emerging players

• Duramax Marine: Manufacturer of marine bearings and shaft seals (e.g., '490' Rudder Bushings) that BRT distributes. A key upstream supplier relationship that could selectively bypass distribution and sell direct to shipyards in BRT's region.
• Nabrico (National Albany Brake & Industrial): Direct manufacturer of marine winches and deck fittings (DF-156, Hydra-Electric) that BRT Marine distributes. A vertically-integrated emerging threat to BRT's winch category if Nabrico pursues direct customer relationships in BRT's regional footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Byrne, Rice, and Turner