What Cooper Consolidated does

Cooper Consolidated, LLC is a privately held, asset-based provider of midstream stevedoring, barge, marine, and logistics services operating primarily along the Lower Mississippi River between Southwest Pass and Baton Rouge. The company was formed in 2003 through the merger of The Cooper Group (founded 1905) with Consolidated Terminals and Logistics Co. (CTLC), a division of CGB Enterprises, and operates as a subsidiary within The Cooper Group of Companies. It runs twelve mid-stream berths and eight barge fleet locations with a combined max capacity of 2,098 barges, controls approximately 700 rail cars across 14+ rail-loading facilities on the Mississippi, Illinois, Ohio, and Arkansas rivers, operates five shipyard locations, and handles in excess of 10,000 barge loads per year.

The company's core physical infrastructure includes the world's two largest AmClyde bulk cranes ('Mr. Ervin' and 'Hulk', each with 132,280-pound bucket capacity, adding 30 million tons of annual coal-loading capacity), North America's largest E-Crane 4000C Series units ('Pelican' commissioned December 2024, 'Creole King' beginning operations May 2025), the floating grain elevator 'America' for barge-to-vessel grain transfers, and an LMO barge-mounted conveying system with weighing/sampling/grading capabilities. Complementary subsidiaries include Plimsoll Marine (towboat operations), Blakeley BoatWorks (shipbuilding and vessel repair), Cooper Marine and Timberlands (timber and stevedoring), and CTS Mooring (barge fleeting and marine services).

Cooper Consolidated generates revenue primarily through transaction-fee-based services across four streams: stevedoring at mid-stream berths, barge fleeting and marine services, full-service logistics (rail, trucking, terminaling sold as integrated packages with single-point-of-contact billing), and shipyard services (dry-dock, barge washing, fabrication). The go-to-market is enterprise direct sales organized by commodity vertical — Bulk Sales, Energy Sales, Steel & Metallics, and Non-Grain Freight — with named account managers covering bulk commodity shippers, grain exporters, project cargo customers, scrap metal shippers, and industrial manufacturers. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, customized to cargo type, volume, and route.

Name

Cooper Consolidated

Legal name

COOPER CONSOLIDATED, LLC

Website

https://cooperconsolidated.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cooper Consolidated is an asset-based provider of midstream stevedoring, barge, marine, and logistics services along the Lower Mississippi River, serving bulk commodity shippers, grain exporters, and project cargo customers across the U.S. inland waterway system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Logistics Services

NAICS

Marine Cargo Handling (488320), Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

akta.pro primary industry

Container Freight Stations (CFS) & LCL Deconsolidation/Consolidation (TLAHAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Direct-to-Consignee (DTC) / Deconsolidation & Breakbulk Distribution (TLACALAE)

Keywords

• Inland waterway logistics
• Midstream stevedoring services
• Marine barge transportation
• Bulk cargo handling
• Project cargo shipping

Headquarters

HQ city

Covington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Stevedoring Services: Midstream stevedoring services at 12 berths along the Lower Mississippi River, handling bulk and breakbulk cargoes with various equipment options and river service support
2. Barge Fleeting and Marine Services: Barge cleaning, repair, and fleeting services at dockside locations near Louisiana mid-stream berths; barge transportation throughout the U.S. Inland Waterway System handling over 10,000 barge loads per year
3. Logistics Services: Full-service logistics packages including rail, trucking, and terminaling services; package services with one clear bill and single point of contact for shipment management
4. Shipyard Services: Dry cargo barge washing, repairs, steel and fiberglass fabrication, dry dock services at multiple locations including Convent (Mile 164), LaPlace (Mile 132), Upper St. Rose (Mile 127), Marrero (Mile 100), and Belle Chasse (Mile 71)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cooper Consolidated is an asset-based provider of midstream stevedoring, barge, marine, and logistics services operating along the Lower Mississippi River between Southwest Pass and Baton Rouge. The company handles over 10,000 barge loads per year of dry bulk and breakbulk commodities (grain, coal, fertilizers, steel, minerals) using 12 mid-stream berths, 8 barge fleets, and proprietary floating cranes. It also operates five shipyard locations providing barge washing, repairs, and fabrication services.

Product overview

Cooper Consolidated offers an integrated suite of midstream logistics and maritime services along the Lower Mississippi River. The portfolio centers on stevedoring (with 12 mid-stream berths and floating cranes including the AmClyde units Mr. Ervin and Hulk, and E-Crane units Pelican and Creole King), complemented by the America floating grain elevator and LMO conveying system for grain handling. Core services include barge fleeting at 8 fleet locations, marine services (barge cleaning/repair), full-service logistics with rail, trucking, and terminaling, plus project cargo and shipyard services at five locations. The company handles over 10,000 barge loads annually across dry bulk and breakbulk commodities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mid-Stream Stevedoring Stevedoring services utilizing 12 mid-stream berths on the Lower Mississippi River with floating cranes for bulk and breakbulk cargo handling. Serves enterprise shippers of dry bulk and breakbulk commodities.
• LMO (Barge-Mounted Conveying System)

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 million tons of additional annual coal-loading capacity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• E-cranecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024E-crane manufactured and delivered the 4000C Series Equilibrium Cranes 'Pelican' and 'Creole King', the largest E-cranes built, representing North America's largest E-crane bulk cranes for Cooper Consolidated's fleet expansion.
• Corn Island ShipyardcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Corn Island Shipyard in Grandview, IN built the new barges (200' x 72' x 12') for the E-crane installations 'Pelican' and 'Creole King', completed in 2024.
• Drummond CoalminorOthers · 1 January 2017Acquired the world's two largest AmClyde bulk cranes 'Mr. Ervin' and 'Hulk' from Drummond Coal in November 2017. The cranes were previously operating in Santa Marta, Colombia.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Ergon Marine & Industrial Supply: Operates marine terminals and bulk liquid handling on the Lower Mississippi with growing dry bulk and stevedoring exposure; competes with Cooper in midstream terminal and bulk handling services along the same river corridor.

Direct peers

• American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL): Major U.S. inland marine transportation provider operating a large barge fleet and terminals; directly comparable in dry bulk barge transportation, fleeting, and stevedoring services on the Mississippi and Ohio river systems.
• CGB Enterprises: Parent-affiliated grain and bulk logistics company on the inland waterway system; CTLC division merged with The Cooper Group in 2003 to form Cooper Consolidated, and CGB remains a closely related operator of grain terminals and barge logistics.
• Ingram Barge Company: One of the largest U.S. inland barge operators with significant terminal and fleeting capacity on the Mississippi River system; competes directly with Cooper in barge fleeting, transportation, and bulk cargo handling.

Regional players

• T&T Marine Services: Gulf-Inland marine services company offering barge fleeting, towing, and stevedoring along the Lower Mississippi River; comparable in service mix and regional footprint to Cooper's marine and stevedoring operations.
• Blessey Marine Services: Family-owned marine transportation and stevedoring company operating on the Lower Mississippi River; competes with Cooper in barge fleeting, towing, and bulk cargo handling on a regional Gulf-Inland basis.
• Crescent Towing & Salvage: Gulf-Inland marine services operator providing towing, barge fleeting, and shipyard services primarily in the Lower Mississippi River region; direct functional overlap with Cooper's marine, fleeting, and shipyard operations.

Broad incumbents

• Kirby Corporation: Largest U.S. inland marine transportation operator with a much broader product line across tank barges, coastal shipping, and distribution and services; overlaps with Cooper in inland bulk barge transportation and marine services.
• Marquette Transportation Company: Diversified inland marine transportation operator with barge fleeting and harbor services across multiple U.S. river systems; broadly comparable to Cooper in dry bulk barge transportation and terminal services.

Others

• Port of New Orleans: Public container and breakbulk terminal operator on the Lower Mississippi; not a direct competitor in barge fleeting but a key counterparty and adjacent operator in the same river corridor where Cooper's stevedoring customers ship cargo.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ctsgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Cooper Consolidated