What Witherby Publishing Group does

Witherby Publishing Group is a privately owned publisher of operational guidance and technical standards for the global maritime and shipping industry, operating from its head office in Livingston, Scotland, with additional offices in Edinburgh and Singapore. The company produces both digital and physical publications covering passage planning, maritime security, navigation and ECDIS, flag state compliance, mooring operations, and LNG terminal information, developed by in-house technical experts and peer-reviewed within industry working groups led by senior navigating officers and maritime specialists.

The company's core technology platform is Witherby Connect, a browser-accessible maritime industry library that aggregates the publication catalogue and regulatory guidance. This is complemented by two specialised web-based tools: SHIPMOOR, which provides mooring analysis and 3D visualisation of mooring arrangements, and LNG Port Info, a structured database collating the information required to visit LNG terminals worldwide. Together these products extend the business beyond traditional publishing into operational software and reference data services.

Witherbys generates revenue through one-time licence sales of digital and physical publications via its direct e-commerce storefront at shop.witherbys.com, with content distributed globally to vessel operators, shipping companies, port authorities, maritime administrators, and pilotage organisations. The company works in collaborative partnership with key maritime industry bodies — including BIMCO, CDI, IACS, IMarEST, the International Chamber of Shipping, OCIMF, SIGTTO, and the UK Chamber of Shipping — to co-develop specialist publications interpreting IMO regulations, recommendations, and guidelines. Andrew Collins serves as Chairman. The business has been active in Passage Planning Guides for over 50 years and has been the leading provider of Flag State guidance material since 2004.

Name

Witherby Publishing Group

Legal name

Witherby Publishing Group

Website

https://witherbypublishinggroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Witherby Publishing Group is a privately owned maritime publisher producing operational guidance and technical standards — including Passage Planning Guides, Flag State material, and ECDIS resources — distributed digitally and physically to vessel operators, port authorities, and pilotage organisations worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Publishing and Regulatory Reference

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Book Publishers (513130), Navigational Services to Shipping (48833)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Navigation, Communications & Integrated Bridge Systems Engineering (IMAJAGAH)

Keywords

• Maritime publishing
• Passage planning guides
• Flag state guidance
• Maritime regulatory compliance
• Maritime navigation training

Headquarters

HQ city

Livingston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Publication Sales: Sale of digital and physical operational guidance and technical standards publications for the maritime industry.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Witherby Publishing Group develops and sells operational guidance and technical standards publications for the maritime and shipping industry, available both digitally and physically. The company operates the Witherby Connect browser-based maritime industry library, the SHIPMOOR web application for mooring analysis and 3D visualisation, and the LNG Port Info database for LNG terminal information, alongside a catalogue of specialist publication lines including Passage Planning Guides, Security Publications, Navigation & ECDIS material, and Flag State Guidance.

Product overview

Witherby Publishing Group is a privately owned publisher of operational guidance and technical standards for the shipping industry, available both digitally and physically. The company operates a platform-plus-products model centered on Witherby Connect, a browser-based maritime industry library. This core platform is complemented by specialized publications including Passage Planning Guides (authoritative guides maintained for 50 years through relationships with marine authorities), Security Publications, Navigation & ECDIS resources, Flag State Guidance (provider since 2004), SHIPMOOR (web-based mooring analysis and 3D visualization tool), and LNG Port Info (database of LNG terminal information). The company also offers general publications available through its online shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Witherby Connect: Maritime industry library accessible from browser - digital platform for accessing maritime publications and regulations
• SHIPMOOR
• LNG Port Info

Products and services

• Witherby Connect Browser-accessible maritime industry library providing searchable digital access to Witherbys' publication content and regulatory guidance, for maritime professionals and shipping organisations.
• Passage Planning Guides Authoritative Passage Planning Guides developed and maintained through relationships with Marine Administrations, Port Authorities, and pilotage organisations worldwide, for vessel operators and maritime navigators.
• Security Publications Maritime security publications written by experts in the practical application of maritime security measures, for shipping companies and maritime security officers.
• Navigation & ECDIS Navigation and ECDIS guidance produced by a team of senior navigating officers, providing technical standards and operational guidance for maritime navigators.
• Flag State Guidance Flag State and guidance material for the maritime industry, established as a leading provider since 2004, for maritime administrators, vessel operators and compliance officers.
• SHIPMOOR Web-based application that facilitates mooring analysis and 3D visualisation of mooring arrangements, for maritime engineers, port operators, and mooring masters.
• LNG Port Info Database collating all the information needed to visit LNG terminals around the world, for LNG vessel operators, terminal planners, and maritime operators.

Segments1 record

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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BIMCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership to create specialist publications promoting understanding of regulations, recommendations and guidelines issued by the industry body or IMO.
• CDIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership to create specialist publications for the maritime industry.
• IACScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership to create specialist publications promoting understanding of regulations, recommendations and guidelines issued by the industry body or IMO.
• IMarESTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership to create specialist publications for the maritime industry.
• International Chamber of ShippingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership to create specialist publications promoting understanding of regulations, recommendations and guidelines issued by the industry body or IMO.
• OCIMFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership to create specialist publications promoting understanding of regulations, recommendations and guidelines issued by the industry body or IMO.
• SIGTTOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership to create specialist publications promoting understanding of regulations, recommendations and guidelines issued by the industry body or IMO.
• UK Chamber of ShippingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership to create specialist publications promoting understanding of regulations, recommendations and guidelines issued by the industry body or IMO.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Seagull Maritime: Seagull Maritime is a provider of maritime training, e-learning, and competency management software for seafarers. It directly competes with Witherbys in maritime training and reference content, especially for regulatory and operational compliance.
• Marlins: Marlins provides maritime training, testing, and crew competence solutions, including maritime English and security training. It competes with Witherbys in shipboard crew training and maritime compliance content.
• Videotel (KVH Industries): Videotel, part of KVH Industries, delivers maritime training videos, e-learning, and regulatory compliance content. It is a direct competitor to Witherbys' training and operational guidance publications for the global shipping industry.

Broad incumbents

• Lloyd's Register: Lloyd's Register is a global maritime classification society that publishes technical standards, rules, and reference materials for shipbuilders and operators. It overlaps with Witherbys' regulatory guidance and classification publications as part of a broader classification and advisory portfolio.
• DNV: DNV is a classification society and maritime advisory firm that publishes rules, standards, and recommended practices for shipping. It is a broader incumbent in maritime regulatory content where Witherbys operates in the interpretive/guidance niche.
• American Bureau of Shipping (ABS): ABS is a classification society that publishes rules, guides, and technical reports for marine and offshore assets. It competes with Witherbys in the regulatory and technical reference publishing space as part of a wider classification business.

Others

• OCIMF (Oil Companies International Marine Forum): OCIMF is an industry body that publishes best-practice guides, safety recommendations, and terminal-mooring standards. While primarily an industry body rather than publisher, it overlaps with Witherbys' maritime security, passage planning, and mooring content areas.
• International Maritime Organization (IMO): IMO is the UN agency that publishes the regulatory framework (SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW) underpinning the maritime industry. While not a commercial publisher, IMO's public regulatory content is the source material Witherbys interprets and commercializes.

Regional players

• ClassNK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai): ClassNK is the Japanese maritime classification society that publishes rules, guidance, and technical standards — closely comparable to Witherbys' Flag State and regulatory guidance. It serves a primarily Asian market.

Emerging players

• IMCA (International Marine Contractors Association): IMCA publishes technical guidance, safety documents, and operational standards for the marine contracting industry. It is a partial competitor to Witherbys' technical publication business for niche maritime segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/witherbys

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 Witherby Publishing Group