American Shipping and Chartering

What American Shipping and Chartering does

American Shipping and Chartering (ASC) is a Houston-headquartered maritime services company founded on May 1, 1980, operating as a port agency and shipping broker. It has been a member of Germany's Menzell Döhle global agency network since 2021, functioning as the Houston node of a network spanning five continents, twenty-two countries, thirty-five offices, three hundred logistics experts, and forty-one shipping line representations. ASC runs four service lines: Port Agency Services (local and general agent representation across major US and Mexico ports, handling approximately 250 port calls annually with 24/7 support), Renewable Energy Logistics (transport of windmill blades, nacelles, towers, and solar equipment), Oil & Gas Industry Services (offshore EPIC, drilling rigs, service vessels, and government-interaction support across the Gulf of Mexico from Ciudad del Carmen to Pensacola), and Carrier's Representatives (arranging customized shipping solutions for steel, project cargo, breakbulk, and heavy lift, and matching cargo requirements with available tonnage).

The underlying technology consists of a logistics coordination and port agency management system integrating ASC's North American offices (Houston, Mobile, Toronto, Lima) with Menzell Döhle's partner agency offices across Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. The company holds ISO 9001:2000 certification for its quality management system covering oil and gas services. ASC monetizes primarily through quote-based agency fees, disbursement pass-throughs (port fees, pilotage, towage), and brokerage commissions on cargo-to-tonnage matches, with multi-year contract billing and a 4.5% per month late-payment penalty acting as a working-capital signal. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales — direct relationship-driven engagement with ship owners, carriers, charterers, and chartering brokers — supplemented by referrals through the Menzell Döhle network and industry association memberships (ASBA, BIMCO). Customer concentration sits with named enterprise carrier principals including Clipper Group, onego Shipping & Chartering, ASC Lines, Norwegian Bulk Carriers AS, Megaline, Stellar, Jiangsu Fanzhou Shipping, ACE Pacific Shipping, and Hanson Carriers. ASC is privately held under the Menzell Döhle group with no external institutional investors or public listing.

Name

American Shipping and Chartering

Legal name

American Shipping and Chartering

Website

https://americanshipping.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Houston-headquartered maritime port agency and shipping broker founded in 1980, now operating as the US Gulf node of Germany's Menzell Döhle global agency network, serving ship owners, carriers, and charterers across US and Mexico ports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Port Agency Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Port and Harbor Operations (488310)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Spare Parts, Ship Chandlery & Logistics to Vessel (TLAHAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE)

Keywords

• Port agency services
• Maritime logistics
• Shipping brokerage
• Vessel operations
• Cargo coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices29 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Agency Fees and Disbursements: Fees charged for agency services related to vessel calls, including port fees, pilotage, towage, and other necessary disbursements made on behalf of principals
2. Service Compensation: Compensation for brokerage, port agency, oil and gas, and logistics services rendered under mutually agreed upon rates and payment terms. Payments due within 7 business days of invoice.
3. Carrier Representative Services: Arranging customized solutions for steel, projects, breakbulk, and heavy lift cargo. Finding matches between cargo requirements and available tonnage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

American Shipping and Chartering is a Houston-based maritime services company providing port agency, brokerage, oil & gas support, and logistics coordination for ship owners, carriers, and charterers. The company acts as a local and general agent at major US and Mexico ports, handling approximately 250 port calls annually, and serves as carriers' representative matching cargo to tonnage for steel, project, breakbulk, and heavy-lift shipments. Since 2021 it has operated as part of the Menzell Döhle global agency network spanning 28 offices across 22 countries.

Product overview

American Shipping and Chartering is a maritime shipping and logistics services company operating as a port agency and shipping broker. The company offers four core service lines: Port Agency Services (providing local/general agent representation for ship owners across US and Mexico ports, handling approximately 250 port calls annually), Renewable Energy Logistics (transporting windmill blades, nacelles, towers, and solar equipment), Oil & Gas Industry Services (supporting EPIC and drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico region), and Carrier's Representatives (arranging customized shipping solutions for specialized cargo). The company became part of Menzell Döhle's Global Agency Network in 2021.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Port Agency Services Local and general agent representation for ship owners and operators across major US and Mexico ports, handling vessel support calls including docking arrangements, cargo handling, customs and port clearance. The Houston office maintains overall responsibility for vessel operations and the company handles up to 250 port calls annually with 24/7 support.
• Carrier's Representatives Shipowner representative services arranging customized shipping solutions for steel, project cargo, breakbulk, and heavy lift cargo. Finds matches between cargo requirements and available tonnage for clients such as Clipper Group, onego Shipping & Chartering, ASC Lines, and Norwegian Bulk Carriers AS across global trade lanes.
• Oil & Gas Industry Services Specialized maritime services for the Offshore EPIC industries, drilling rigs, service vessels, and oil & gas service companies. Covers crew changes, procurement, provisioning, customs clearance, and government agency interactions (APHIS, CBP, USDA) for operations in the Gulf of Mexico region under ISO 9001:2000 certification.
• Renewable Energy Logistics Logistics solutions for transporting oversized renewable energy cargo including windmill blades, nacelles, towers, and solar equipment for renewable energy projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250 port calls handled annually with individualized and precise care
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Menzell DöhlecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Menzell Döhle is the parent company/group of American Shipping and Chartering. ASC became part of Menzell Döhle's Global Agency for Houston in 2021. The partnership provides access to 28 offices worldwide, 300 logistics experts across sea, air, road, and rail, 135 years of combined experience, and 41 shipping line representations. This strategic integration enables comprehensive maritime services and global agency coverage.
• Association of Ship Brokers & Agents (ASBA)minorOthersIndustry association membership providing standards, networking, and professional development for ship brokers and agents.
• BIMCO Baltic and International Maritime CouncilminorOthersInternational maritime association membership providing standard contracts, industry standards, and professional resources for maritime industry professionals.
• Neptumar (Agencies/Agencies Ltd./NV/B.V./Sp. z o.o.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional agency partner network with offices in Aarhus, Antwerp, Felixstowe, Gdynia, and Rotterdam. Part of Menzell Döhle's global agency network providing local port agency and logistics services across Northern Europe.
• PortNav Marine AgenciescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgency partner with offices in Batam, Port Klang, and Singapore. Part of Menzell Döhle's global network providing maritime agency services across Southeast Asia and Malaysia.
• Blue Funnel Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgency partner with offices in Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, and Zanzibar. Part of the global network providing maritime agency services across East Africa.
• Scandinavian Shipping & LogisticscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgency partner with offices in Gothenburg, Helsinki, Jönköping, Malmö, and Norrköping. Part of the global network providing maritime and logistics services across Scandinavia.
• EcoSmart Logistics SPAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgency partner in Santiago, Chile providing logistics services in the South American region.
• UAB CR Cargo BalticminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgency partner in Vilnius, Lithuania providing logistics services in the Baltic region.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Wincanton (GAC-acquired operations) / GAC North America: GAC's North American operations are headquartered in Houston with strong presence across US Gulf ports. Directly competes with ASC in the same geography and customer segments.

Direct peers

• Cargo-partner: cargo-partner is a mid-sized international freight forwarder with strong project cargo, breakbulk, and heavy lift capabilities. Comparable to ASC in size and specialization, serving similar industrial and energy customers.
• Trans Global Projects: Trans Global Projects is a project logistics specialist handling heavy lift, breakbulk, and oversized cargo worldwide. Comparable to ASC in project cargo focus, particularly for energy and infrastructure projects.
• Inchcape Shipping Services: Inchcape provides ship agency, maritime services, and port call support across major global ports. Direct overlap with ASC in vessel agency, husbandry services, and port call coordination for commercial shipping customers.
• Deugro: Deugro specializes in project cargo, heavy lift, and breakbulk forwarding globally. Direct overlap with ASC's carrier representative and project cargo services for industrial and energy sector clients.
• GAC (Gulf Agency Company): GAC is one of the world's largest ship agency and logistics providers, offering port agency, husbandry, freight forwarding, and supply chain services globally. It is the closest direct competitor to ASC's port agency model, operating in similar geographies including the US Gulf.
• Blue Water Shipping: Blue Water Shipping specializes in project cargo, breakbulk, heavy lift, and renewable energy logistics globally. Strong overlap with ASC's carrier representation and project cargo focus, particularly for wind energy equipment.

Broad incumbents

• Wilhelmsen Ship Management: Wilhelmsen is a global maritime industry leader offering ship agency, maritime services, and products across a much larger portfolio. Its ship agency division directly overlaps with ASC's port agency services but at significantly broader scale.
• Panalpina (DSV): DSV (which acquired Panalpina) is a global freight forwarder with significant project cargo and breakbulk capabilities. Broader scope and scale than ASC but overlapping in specialized cargo handling and maritime services.
• V. Group: V. Group provides ship management, maritime services, and crew management worldwide. Its broader port services and agency capabilities overlap with ASC's offerings while serving a wider customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-shipping-and-chartering

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 American Shipping and Chartering