What C-LARs does

C-LARs, LLC is a privately held Texas-based industrial machinery manufacturer that designs, engineers, and builds custom launch and recovery systems (LARS) for subsea and marine applications. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Bryan, TX with an additional corporate address in Snook, TX, the company produces electric and hydraulic winches spanning 2 HP oceanographic models to 30+ tonne work-class ROV systems, A-frames (including the CTA620 flagship and Model 440 portable variant), knuckle boom cranes, hydraulic power units from 5 HP to 500 HP, hydraulic cylinders (2–12 inch bore), sheaves/snatchblocks, and proprietary umbilical lubrication equipment. Core technical capabilities — in-house hydraulic and electrical assembly, welding and fabrication, and machining — are anchored by proprietary systems such as the Guide-Rite cable management system, C-Tool pressurized lubrication, ROV Crush Protection, and Fully Articulated Docking Head, with Active Heave Compensation delivered through a 2022 partnership with Norway-based Scantrol AS.

The company serves four primary end-markets: global ROV operators (work-class and inspection class launch/recovery), U.S. defense and naval customers (notably NAVSEA-NSWC), oceanographic research institutions, and commercial offshore operators. Named customers include the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Ocean Exploration Trust, and an unnamed global ROV operator that contracted two 13-Ton AHC LARS systems in May 2024. C-LARs monetizes through custom hardware sales (RFQ-based, pricing not publicly disclosed), complemented by a meaningful professional services revenue stream that includes worldwide field service and repair, refurbishment/retrofit, and custom spooling and lubrication services.

The business operates a direct enterprise field-sales motion with no channel partners, distributors, or e-commerce, and supplements lead generation with targeted participation in offshore industry events (notably the Offshore Technology Conference) and earned-media visibility via the Texas A&M Aggie 100 alumni network. The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified, holds DNVGL-ST-0378 and DNVGL-ST-E273 design compliance on multiple product lines, and holds ATEX certification for Zone II hazardous-area HPUs. Current infrastructure includes 33,000 sq ft of manufacturing space with 63 tons of overhead crane capacity in Bryan, TX, with a recently acquired 37-acre Snook, TX site earmarked for a purpose-built manufacturing and full-scale ROV/LARS test facility.

Name

C-LARs

Legal name

C-LARS, LLC

Website

https://c-lars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

C-LARs, LLC is a privately held Texas manufacturer of custom engineered launch and recovery systems, winches, A-frames, knuckle boom cranes, and hydraulic power units for global ROV operators, U.S. defense, oceanographic research institutions, and commercial offshore clients, sold through direct enterprise sales and RFQ-based contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Launch and Recovery Systems

NAICS

Ship and Boat Building (33661), Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing (333923), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)

akta.pro primary industry

Lifting Attachments & Material Handling Accessories (Fork Attachments, Slings, Rigging) (IMAHABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Offshore & Energy Vessel (OSV) Maintenance & Repair (TLAKAKAC), Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) Newbuilds (PSV, AHTS, ERRV) (IMAJACAA), Submarine Systems & Components (Pressure Hull, Ballast, Life Support) (IMABAKAL)

Keywords

• Launch recovery systems
• Marine winch systems
• Offshore deck equipment
• Hydraulic power units
• ROV handling systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Bryan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Equipment Manufacturing: C-LARs designs, engineers, and manufactures custom launch and recovery systems, winches, A-frames, knuckle boom cranes, hydraulic power units, and hydraulic cylinders. Equipment ranges from a few hundred pounds to 30+ tonnes SWL capacity. Products are sold as custom-built solutions to specification.
2. Field Service and Support: Worldwide field service including maintenance, evaluations, troubleshooting, repairs, commissioning, and testing. Services provided at customer locations globally.
3. Refurbishment and Retrofit: Restoration and upgrade services for existing customer equipment, bringing old systems to like-new condition with modern features.
4. Spooling and Lubrication Services: Custom spooling, pressurized debridement/cleaning/lubrication, and onsite lubrication systems for umbilicals and wire ropes.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

C-LARs designs, engineers, and manufactures custom Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS) and associated deck equipment for ROV, AUV, USV, oceanographic, defense, and research applications. The product portfolio includes electric and hydraulic winches (SWL from a few hundred pounds to 30+ tonnes), A-Frames, Knuckle Boom Cranes, Hydraulic Power Units (5-500 hp), hydraulic cylinders, sheaves, and umbilical lubrication systems. The company also delivers worldwide field service, refurbishment/retrofit, and custom spooling and lubrication services.

Product overview

C-LARs is a manufacturer of specialized Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS) and associated marine/offshore equipment. The product portfolio centers on the LARS product line comprising winches (electric and hydraulic, from 2HP oceanographic to 30+ ton work class), A-Frames (portable and flagship CTA620), Knuckle Boom Cranes, and Hydraulic Power Units (HPUs ranging from 5hp to 500hp). Supporting products include Hydraulic Cylinders (2-12 inch bore), Umbilical Lubrication Systems, and Spray Rigs. The company also offers field service, repair, refurbishment, and spooling/lubrication services. Products are designed for ROV, AUV, USV, oceanographic, defense, and research applications with DNV certification available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CTW513 WROV Umbilical Winch High-performance umbilical winch for heavy-duty Work Class ROV applications with nominal SWL of 13 tons, accommodating up to 4,700 meters of 41mm umbilical cable. Features six-motor drive system, dynamic braking, and Guide-Rite cable management system.
• CTW508 8t WROV Winch 8-ton safe working load work class ROV winch for medium-duty umbilical handling applications.
• CTW415 Oceanographic Winch Oceanographic winch for CTD, sonar, and MVP applications with robust construction for challenging marine environments.
• CTW225 ATC Winch Active heave compensated winch for precision payload handling in offshore conditions.
• Model 214 General Purpose Electric 2-HP Oceanographic Winch General purpose electric winch for oceanographic applications with 2HP motor, 2,450 N safe working load, electro-active levelwind system, and drum capacity of 1,500 meters.
• CTA620 ROV A-Frame Flagship A-Frame for offshore ROV launch and recovery with SWL of 13,000 kg luffing and 20,000 kg overboard. Features ROV Crush Protection System and fully articulated docking head with swing and sway capabilities.
• Model 440 Portable A-Frame Portable A-frame system rated at 13 tonnes overboarding and 7 tonnes luffing. Designed to DNVGL-ST-0378 standard, under 23,000 lbs total weight, shippable in standard ISO container.
• Knuckle Boom Crane 8,000 kg SWL knuckle boom crane with 150 hp HPU (dual 75hp), hydraulic umbilical winch, and fully articulated ROV docking head. Features Active Heave Compensation by Scantrol.
• CTH2300 Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) 300 hp Hydraulic Power Unit with dual 150hp pump strings, 300 gallon reservoir capacity. DNVGL-ST-0378 and DNVGL-ST-E273 certified. Both closed loop and open loop configurations available.
• Hydraulic Cylinders (CTC Series) High-performance hydraulic cylinders ranging from 2 to 12 inch bore diameters. Standard tie-rod style with options for welded and trunnion-mount configurations. Designed for offshore applications with 17-4 PH cylinder rods and DNV certification available.
• C-LARS Umbilical Lubrication System (ULS) Self-contained system designed to pressure inject lubricant into the armor package of ROV umbilicals or standard wire rope. Accommodates 25.40mm to 50.80mm umbilicals with 60:1 pressure ratio piston pump.
• C-LARS Spray Rig Portable umbilical treatment system that sprays migrating lubricants (C-Myst and C-HD) without requiring spooling. Provides approximately 12 months of protection per application for long-term storage between mobilizations.
• Spooling and Lubrication Services Custom spooling, pressurized debridement/cleaning/lubrication, and onsite lubrication systems for umbilicals and wire ropes. Includes Lebus shell installation and C-Tool lubrication system for thorough umbilical maintenance.
• Field Service and Repair Worldwide field service by C-LARs technicians for maintenance, evaluations, troubleshooting, repairs, commissioning, and testing at customer locations globally. Includes refurbishment and retrofit services to restore and upgrade existing equipment.
• Refurbishment and Retrofit Restoration and upgrade services for existing customer equipment, bringing old systems to like-new condition with modern features such as state-of-the-art automation and safety upgrades.
• Zone II Hazardous Area HPUs Zone II Hazardous Area rated hydraulic power units designed for explosive atmosphere environments. Includes dual 90kW electro-hydraulic power unit and single 22kW auxiliary unit. ATEX certified by DNV-GL.
• Model 1514 Research Winch 15 HP all-electric research winch rated for 3,100 lbs line pull at 140 FPM line speed with electro-active levelwinding system and LCI-90i displays for line monitoring. Designed for naval and oceanographic research applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13-ton Active Heave Compensated LARS with CTW513 winch, CTA620 A-frame, and CTH2300 HPU delivered to global ROV operator
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Scantrol AScoreTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2022Partnership agreement signed at OTC Houston May 2022 for providing specialized control systems including Active Heave Compensation (AHC) technology. C-LARs incorporates Scantrol's mTrack AHC systems into their electric winch designs. This partnership enables C-LARs to offer work class ROV electric LARS systems in North America, combining C-LARs' manufacturing with Scantrol's proven AHC technology.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kongsberg Maritime: Kongsberg Maritime supplies a broad portfolio of subsea and offshore equipment including winches, AHC systems, and handling controls that overlap with C-LARs' products. As a large incumbent with integrated vessel systems, it competes indirectly on larger platform tenders where C-LARs may be a sub-supplier or specialty alternative.
• Forum Energy Technologies: Forum Energy Technologies manufactures and services a wide range of subsea and offshore equipment including ROVs, winches, and deck machinery. It is a broader incumbent whose product portfolio overlaps with C-LARs in winches and offshore handling equipment.

Emerging players

• Subsea Tech: Subsea Tech manufactures and distributes mini-ROVs, USVs, and specialized marine handling equipment. While smaller in scale than C-LARs, it operates in the adjacent space of small ROV deployment and light marine handling solutions relevant to inspection-class and research markets.
• Tension Technology International: Tension Technology International designs specialized winches, tensioners, and cable handling equipment for offshore and oceanographic applications. It is a smaller specialty player with overlap in umbilicals, winches, and active heave compensated systems relevant to C-LARs' product range.

Direct peers

• MacArtney Group: MacArtney designs and manufactures launch and recovery systems (LARS), winches, A-frames, and handling equipment for ROVs and subsea operations worldwide. It is the closest direct peer to C-LARs, competing head-to-head in custom engineered deck machinery for the same offshore, defense, and oceanographic customer base.
• Huisman: Huisman is a Dutch manufacturer of heavy marine equipment including cranes, winches, and offshore handling systems. It is a direct peer in custom deck machinery for offshore vessels and a recognized supplier of AHC-equipped LARS competing for similar work-class ROV contracts.
• Odim (AKO Group): Odim, now part of AKO Group, manufactures advanced handling systems, LARS, winches, and A-frames for offshore and naval customers. It is a long-established European competitor offering electric and hydraulic LARS in the same work-class and inspection-class categories as C-LARs.
• Caley Ocean Systems (Oceaneering): Caley Ocean Systems specializes in ROV handling systems including winches, A-frames, and LARS for offshore and oceanographic applications. Now part of Oceaneering, it competes directly with C-LARs in supplying integrated launch and recovery solutions to global ROV operators.

Others

• Scantrol AS: Scantrol AS provides Active Heave Compensation (AHC) control systems, including mTrack, used by winch and crane manufacturers worldwide. It is C-LARs' technology partner for AHC controls in electric LARS designs and an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor in equipment manufacturing.

Regional players

• Sonar Equipment Services: Sonar Equipment Services supplies oceanographic and hydrographic winches, LARS, and cable handling systems primarily to European research and survey customers. It is a regional peer with comparable product offerings serving oceanographic and survey vessel markets like C-LARs' oceanographic segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 C-LARs