What Fairplay Towage Group does

Fairplay Towage Group is a privately held German maritime towage operator, legally structured as Fairplay Schleppdampfschiffs-Reederei Richard Borchard GmbH and family-owned by the Borchard family. Founded in 1905 and headquartered in Hamburg, the company operates a fleet of over 100 modern tugs across 24 European ports spanning Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and Belgium, supported by more than 1,000 employees. Its service portfolio covers harbour tugboat assistance for berthing and unberthing, coastal towage, offshore and deep-sea towage (including LNG tanker assistance at Świnoujście), and 24/7 salvage and emergency response. The fleet comprises multiple classifications including Schottel-ASD tugs, tractor tugs, ocean-going tugs, emergency tugs, and hybrid propulsion models.

The company monetizes services through multi-year enterprise contracts and per-assistance transaction fees, pricing determined by vessel size (GT/length), port conditions, service duration, and contract terms. Its go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales targeting port operators, shipping companies, cruise lines, oil and gas majors, and government maritime authorities. Distribution is delivered through tugs physically stationed at port locations rather than traditional channels, with regional operations centers in Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Bremerhaven, and Gdynia. The company maintains extensive regulatory qualifications—ISO 9001 (20+ years), ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001 (10+ years), and OCIMF/OVMSA compliance—that serve as key commercial enablers for serving oil majors and government clients.

Fairplay Towage Group operates as a holding structure with wholly-owned subsidiaries including Fairplay Towage Polska, Theodor Buschmann, Coast Protection, and Antwerp Towage, plus partner company Multraship. Leadership consists of Executive Directors Holger Schwesig and Philip-Alexander Harmstorf, with a broader management team spanning fleet management, chartering, HSEQ, crewing, and finance. The company is actively engaged in industry associations (EMPA, OCIMF, Tug Network Team) and pursues a measured expansion strategy emphasizing hybrid/green technology, LNG infrastructure support, and selective fleet additions (e.g., FAIRPLAY-97 in 2025).

Name

Fairplay Towage Group

Legal name

Fairplay Schleppdampfschiffs-Reederei Richard Borchard GmbH

Website

https://fairplay-towage.group

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Fairplay Towage Group is a Hamburg-based, family-owned maritime towage operator founded in 1905, running a fleet of over 100 tugs across 24 European ports and serving shipping companies, port operators, cruise lines, and offshore energy clients with harbour assistance, coastal and deep-sea towage, and salvage services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Towage Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Harbor Towage (Ship Assist & Berthing/Unberthing) (TLAHAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Escort Towage (Tanker/High-Risk Transits) (TLAHAHAB), Salvage Support Towage (Refloating/Wreck Removal Assistance) (TLAHAHAH), Coastal/Sea Towage (Long-Distance Towing of Vessels/Barges) (TLAHAHAE), Emergency Towage & Standby Tug Services (Distress Response) (TLAHAHAG), Towage & Berthing Coordination (Tug/Line Handling Dispatch) (TLAHAFAC)

Keywords

• Harbour towage services
• Vessel berthing assistance
• Offshore deep sea towing
• Maritime salvage operations
• Port fleet management

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Harbour Towage Services: Core revenue stream from providing tugboat assistance for vessel berthing and unberthing operations in ports. Services priced based on vessel size, port conditions, and service duration. Long-term contracts with port operators and shipping companies.
2. Offshore and Deep Sea Towage: Specialized towing services for offshore operations, including rig moves, platform positioning, and long-distance ocean towage. Services tailored to challenging offshore conditions.
3. Salvage and Emergency Response: 24/7 salvage assistance and emergency response services for vessels in distress. Provides coast protection and pollution response capabilities.
4. Coastal and Shipyard Services: Coast protection operations and shipyard support services including vessel maintenance and repair coordination.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fairplay Towage Group provides tugboat-based maritime services including harbour tugboat assistance for berthing and unberthing of vessels, coastal towage, offshore and deep sea towage, 24/7 salvage and emergency response, fleet management of more than 100 modern tugs, and shipyard services for vessel maintenance and repair. Operations are delivered directly across 24 European ports in Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Product overview

Fairplay Towage Group operates as a single unified maritime services company offering comprehensive towage solutions across 24 European ports. The core product portfolio centers on four primary service categories: harbour tugboat assistance, coastal towage, offshore and deep sea towage, and salvage services. These are delivered through a fleet management division operating over 100 modern tugs, supported by shipyard services for vessel maintenance and repair. The company was founded in 1905 and maintains headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, with operations spanning Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MyFairnet: Customer portal and online service platform for the Fairplay Towage Group

Products and services

• Harbour Tugboat Assistance Reliable tug services for safe vessel maneuvering in all ports and conditions, providing expert support for berthing and unberthing operations suitable for all vessel sizes and port conditions. Available to shipping companies, cruise lines, and port authorities across 24 European ports.
• Coastal Towage Secure tug support for docking and departure operations in any maritime conditions, adaptable to all vessel sizes and ocean conditions. Provided to commercial shipping customers across European coastal waters.
• Offshore / Deep Sea Towage Efficient towing services for offshore and deep-sea operations, tailored to long-distance needs and specialized for challenging offshore conditions, including rig moves and platform positioning for offshore energy customers.
• Salvage / Assistance Emergency response and salvage services available 24/7 for vessels in distress, operating across the company's European port network for shipping lines, port authorities, and maritime emergency agencies.
• Fleet Management Management and operation of over 100 modern tugs across European ports, including vessel maintenance, crew management, and operational coordination across the group and its subsidiaries.
• Shipyard Services Shipyard operations providing vessel construction, maintenance, and repair services, with facilities coordinated for vessel drydocking and servicing across the group's European footprint.

Quantifiable outcome

• Operations in 24 European ports with fleet of over 100 tugs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NavSim Technology Inc.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Co-sponsor alongside FAIRPLAY at EMPA General Meeting 2025. NavSim specializes in electronic navigation solutions.
• MultrashipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company providing tug services for ships on the Dutch side of the River Scheldt, covering ports like Terneuzen and Flushing. Also handles vessels in Ghent, Belgium.
• Tug Network Team (TNT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork bringing together towage operators committed to shaping their sector's future. FAIRPLAY attended Geneva Dry 2026 as sponsor alongside fellow TNT members.
• OCIMFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of Oil Companies International Marine Forum. Participates in OVMSA audits for oil companies to ensure highest industry standards.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Svitzer: Global #1 towage operator and a wholly-owned subsidiary of A.P. Moller-Maersk, headquartered in Copenhagen. Operates a fleet of 400+ tugs across 30+ countries, directly competing with Fairplay in major European ports including Rotterdam and Antwerp. Closest large-scale comparable on fleet size, service mix (harbour, terminal, offshore towage), and customer profile.
• Boluda Towage: Spanish-headquartered global towage and salvage operator with a fleet of 250+ tugs across Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Listed on BME Growth and the closest publicly traded pure-play towage comparable; competes head-to-head with Fairplay for harbour towage contracts in Northwestern European ports and offers a similar full-service portfolio.
• Rimorchiatori Riuniti: Italian harbour towage operator founded in 1922 with a fleet serving major Mediterranean ports including Genoa, La Spezia, and Trieste. Long-established family-controlled towage peer to Fairplay with a comparable multi-port European footprint and similar service mix centred on harbour assistance.
• Multraship: Dutch towage and salvage operator that is both a Fairplay partner (covering Terneuzen, Flushing, Ghent) and a comparable peer. Provides harbour towage, salvage, and offshore support services across Northwestern Europe with a similar multi-port operating model.
• Saam Smit Towage: Joint venture between SAAM (Chilean) and Royal Boskalis, operating harbour and terminal towage across the Americas and select European/Asian ports. Competes with Fairplay for global shipping line contracts and operates a comparable harbour towage service model.
• KOTUG: Rotterdam-headquartered family-owned towage operator with operations across Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. Provides harbour towage, terminal towage, and offshore support — a direct mid-size competitor to Fairplay in the Netherlands/Belgium corridor and similar in ownership structure.
• BRK Towing (Dansk Bjærgning): Danish towage and salvage operator with a long heritage similar to Fairplay's, providing harbour towage and emergency response services in Danish and Scandinavian ports. A direct Northern European peer on both towage and salvage service lines.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Boskalis Westminster: Dutch-listed global marine services leader in dredging, offshore energy, and salvage. Overlaps with Fairplay on offshore towage, salvage, and emergency response, and is a parent of Saam Smit Towage. Much larger and broader than Fairplay, but competes for the same offshore and salvage contracts.
• Tidewater: US-listed global owner of offshore support vessels serving the oil & gas and renewables sectors. Overlaps with Fairplay's offshore/deep sea towage pillar in the North Sea and Mediterranean, but is structurally an OSV operator rather than a harbour towage specialist.
• PSA Marine: Singapore-based subsidiary of PSA International providing harbour towage, pilotage, and port marine services globally. Operates a much broader port services portfolio (including container terminal operations) than Fairplay but overlaps directly on harbour towage for global shipping customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCsVZzUGg350XmwRi9XP0dxA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fairplay-towage-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/fairplaytowagegroup/?hl=de

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Fairplay Towage Group