Sotramab

What Sotramab does

Sotramab is a French port services company headquartered in Tarnos, operating exclusively at the Port of Bayonne, where it serves as the principal integrated service provider across stevedoring, ship agency (consignation), customs and transit brokerage, bulk warehousing, and fertilizer bagging. The company handles approximately 900 KT of cargo per year, manages around 400 vessel calls annually on behalf of shipowners, and operates more than 24,000 m² of covered storage with 80,000 T of bulk capacity distributed across the three port zones of Bayonne (Anglet, Tarnos, Bayonne Saint Bernard). It also bags roughly 110 KT of fertilizers per year into Big Bags and 25/50 kg sacks and runs a three-person inventory management team with real-time stock visibility through a dedicated client extranet.

The business model is B2B transaction- and usage-based: fees are charged per vessel call (consignation), per customs declaration (transit), per ton handled (manutention), per ton-day stored (warehousing), and per ton bagged (fertilizer services), with pricing not publicly disclosed and quotations issued per engagement. Customer segments include shipping companies (armateurs), import/export businesses, fertilizer traders, wood industry players, and heavy industrial equipment handlers requiring exceptional cargo capability backed by over €25M of liability coverage. The company holds AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) customs status, ISO 9001 quality certification for over a decade, ISO 18000 safety certification since 2010, and an environmental certification since 2012.

Sotramab originated in 2007 from the merger of Sobem (a Sogena subsidiary) and Matrama (a Sea Invest subsidiary) and became a 100% subsidiary of Sea Invest France in January 2014. It is part of the broader Sea Invest Group, which handles 100+ MT annually across 25 ports in 8 countries (France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, South Africa) and employs 5,500 people group-wide. Within the parent group, Sotramab also holds a stake in SLPB, a 2009 joint venture with Berge Maritima providing complementary inland road, rail, and warehousing logistics services. The company employs over 50 logistics professionals, all holding required professional certificates and operating licenses, and is structured as a SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) with €358,875 of share capital.

Name

Sotramab

Legal name

Société SOTRAMAB

Website

https://sotramab.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sotramab is a French port services company operating at the Port of Bayonne, providing stevedoring, ship agency, customs transit, bulk warehousing, and fertilizer bagging to shipping companies, commodity traders, and industrial cargo owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Port Services and Stevedoring

NAICS

Marine Cargo Handling (488320), Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Stevedoring & Vessel Loading/Discharging (Ship-to-Shore Operations) (TLAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Port Call Clearance & Documentation (Arrival/Departure, Customs/Immigration/Health) (TLAHAJAA), Port Dues, Permitting & Regulatory Clearances (TLAHAFAD), Project & OOG/Breakbulk Ocean Forwarding (Out-of-Gauge, RoRo) (TLACABAH)

Keywords

• Port handling services
• Ship agency services
• Customs brokerage
• Bulk storage logistics
• Fertilizer bagging

Headquarters

HQ city

Tarnos

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Port Handling Services: Cargo handling operations at Port of Bayonne, processing approximately 900 KT per year of fertilizers, bulk goods, conventional cargo, wood and derivatives. Includes vessel mooring support and heavy cargo operations.
2. Storage Services: Warehouse storage of bulk goods in 24,000 m² of hangars with 80,000 T capacity. Services include stock management and real-time monitoring.
3. Consignation Services: Maritime agency representation for shipping companies, managing approximately 400 vessel calls per year. Covers crew provisions, vessel supplies, and port coordination.
4. Customs Transit Services: Customs brokerage and transit formalities for goods entering/exiting EU and non-EU countries via air, sea, rail, and road transport.
5. Fertilizer Bagging: Mixing and bagging of fertilizers into Big Bags and 25/50 Kg bags, processing 110 Kt per year

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Sotramab provides integrated port services at the Port of Bayonne, including stevedoring/cargo handling (~900 KT/year of fertilizers, bulk goods, conventional cargo, and wood), ship agency/consignation (~400 vessel calls/year), customs transit and brokerage for EU and non-EU goods, bulk warehouse storage (24,000 m², 80,000 T capacity), and fertilizer bagging (110 KT/year). The company is the principal port service provider at Bayonne and a 100% subsidiary of Sea Invest France.

Product overview

Sotramab is a port services company and 100% subsidiary of Sea Invest France, offering an integrated suite of port operations services at Bayonne Port. The portfolio centers on four interconnected service lines: (1) Stevedoring and cargo handling (~900 KT/year capacity across fertilizers, bulk goods, conventional cargo, and wood products), (2) Ship agency/consignation (~400 vessel calls/year), (3) Customs and transit brokerage for EU and non-EU goods, and (4) Logistics services including 24,000 m² of warehouse storage (80,000 T capacity), fertilizer bagging (110 KT/year), real-time stock management, and the SLPB joint venture for road/rail logistics. The company operates a team of 50+ logistics professionals and has invested over 3 M euros in handling equipment over the past three years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Service Consignation (Ship Agency) Ship agency service that represents shipowners during vessel calls at the Port of Bayonne. Manages crew needs (provisions, medical, visas, taxi), prepares port accounts, and coordinates with local authorities including harbormaster, pilots, tugs, border police, handling companies, and surveyors. Handles approximately 400 vessel calls per year.
• Service Transit & Douane (Customs and Transit Brokerage) Customs brokerage service handling import/export formalities for non-EU goods via any transport mode (air, sea, rail, road) and for EU goods via maritime transport. Operates customs warehouses and holds Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) certification for security and safety operations.
• Service Manutention (Cargo Handling) Port cargo handling service processing approximately 900 KT per year at Port of Bayonne, specializing in fertilizers, bulk goods, conventional cargo, and wood products/derivatives. Also handles heavy lift operations including wind turbine components and industrial equipment, with liability coverage exceeding €25M. Achieves 4,000-5,000 T/day bulk handling capacity in shifts.
• Hangars de Stockage (Bulk Warehouse Storage) Warehouse storage facilities providing over 24,000 m² of covered space with 80,000 T bulk storage capacity, located near all three port zones of Bayonne (Anglet, Tarnos, Bayonne Saint Bernard). Hangars are equipped with weighbridges for tracking stock entry and exit, with 320 KT of cargo transiting warehouses annually.
• Bayonne Manutention (Storage and Fertilizer Bagging) Bulk storage and fertilizer bagging operations managed across 24,000 m² of warehouses. Provides mixing and bagging of fertilizers into Big Bags and 25/50 Kg bags, processing 110 KT of fertilizers annually.
• Gestion des Stocks (Inventory Management) Inventory management service tracking client stock movements via a dedicated 3-person team. Provides real-time stock status visibility through a client extranet portal, enabling clients to monitor entry/exit of goods.
• SLPB Land Logistics Services Logistics joint venture with Berge Maritima providing complementary land logistics services via road and rail transport for all product types, plus warehousing services for all merchandise categories.

Quantifiable outcome

• Processes 900 KT of cargo per year at Port of Bayonne
• +3 more outcomes

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

One partnership is on record.

• SLPB (Société Logistic Portuaire de Bayonne)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Joint venture created in 2009 between Sotramab and Berge Maritima to provide complementary land logistics services including road and rail transport of all products, and warehousing of all merchandise.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Broad incumbents

• DB Schenker France: Global logistics provider with a strong French footprint in freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and contract logistics. Competes with Sotramab's customs transit service and warehousing, though its port handling exposure is limited.
• Vopak: Global tank storage and maritime logistics operator with terminals across Europe. Comparable in handling and storing bulk industrial products at port locations, though focused on liquid/chemical storage rather than dry bulk fertilizer handling.
• Geodis: Major French logistics and freight forwarding operator covering road, rail, air, sea, and contract logistics. Overlaps with Sotramab on customs transit, multimodal forwarding, and warehousing, but at a much broader scale and not specialized in port stevedoring.
• Kuehne+Nagel France: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with significant operations in France across sea, air, and overland logistics, including customs brokerage. Comparable to Sotramab's transit and customs services but at a much larger scale and without a specialized port handling franchise.

Direct peers

• Sea Invest: Parent group operating stevedoring and bulk logistics across 25 ports in 8 countries. Other Sea Invest terminals (e.g., in Belgium, Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa) handle the same fertilizers, bulks, and break-bulk cargoes as Sotramab and represent the closest comparable operating model.
• C. Steinweg: Belgian-headquartered stevedoring and logistics provider with integrated terminal, warehousing, and forwarding services across Europe and Africa. Mirrors Sotramab's model of bundling handling, storage, and forwarding for bulk and break-bulk commodity clients.
• Berge Maritima: Spanish stevedoring and maritime services group that co-owns SLPB with Sotramab at Port of Bayonne. Operates similar cargo handling, ship agency, and port logistics services in Iberian and French ports, making it a directly comparable peer in southwest European port services.
• Sogena: French stevedoring and port-handling group whose former subsidiary Sobem merged with Matrama to form Sotramab in 2007. Operates comparable cargo handling and ship agency services at other French ports, making it a directly comparable peer in the French stevedoring space.

Regional players

• Eurogate: German container and multi-purpose terminal operator with locations primarily along the North Sea and Mediterranean. Shares the multi-purpose stevedoring model (handling bulk, break-bulk, and heavy cargo) but does not directly compete in Bayonne, making it a regional rather than direct peer.
• STEF: French temperature-controlled and ambient logistics specialist with warehousing and transport services across France. Overlaps with Sotramab's warehousing function but focuses on food/agri-distribution rather than port-side bulk and break-bulk handling.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Sotramab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sotramab

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 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 Sotramab