Sogebras
Sogebras is a French maritime agency and port-services provider at the Nantes–Saint-Nazaire complex, offering ship agency, stevedoring, storage, and customs clearance, with specialized heavy-lift capability serving offshore wind, project-cargo, and liner clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersBouguenais, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sogebras does
Sogebras is a French maritime agency and port-services provider founded in 1993 and headquartered in Bouguenais in the Nantes metropolitan area, operating principally out of Nantes and Montoir-de-Bretagne within the Nantes–Saint-Nazaire port complex. The company is a subsidiary of the Maritime KUHN group and operates as a SAS (simplified joint-stock company) with share capital of €304,398.03.
Its service mix covers the full ship-call value chain: ship and liner agency, stevedoring, storage and warehousing on a 45,000+ m² footprint, forwarding, and customs clearance. It maintains agency mandates for shipping lines including MARFRET (including transatlantic services to the Caribbean/Antilles) and Rickmers, and is a member of The Heavy Lift Group (THLG) and Eolhyd networks. It also holds a stack of quality and trade certifications — ISO 9001:2015, FONASBA, AEO, GMP+, and AB (organic) — that qualify it to handle regulated commodity flows including agro-bulk and organics.
Sogebras has built a differentiated heavy-lift capability — including derrick handling of cargoes weighing up to 422 tonnes — and uses it to serve the offshore wind logistics market, with GE Renewable Energy and EDF EN as named reference customers. Revenue is generated through fee-for-service agency commissions, stevedoring tonnage rates, storage rentals, and forwarding/customs margins, with volumes heavily tied to project cargo and the offshore wind installation pipeline at Montoir-de-Bretagne.
Sogebras firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sogebras
- Legal name
- SOGEBRAS SAS
- Website
- https://sogebras.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sogebras is a French maritime agency and port-services provider at the Nantes–Saint-Nazaire complex, offering ship agency, stevedoring, storage, and customs clearance, with specialized heavy-lift capability serving offshore wind, project-cargo, and liner clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sogebras industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Port and Maritime Agency Services
- NAICS
- Marine Cargo Handling (488320), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Marine Cargo Handling (48832)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Stevedoring & Vessel Loading/Discharging (Ship-to-Shore Operations) (TLAHALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Port/Terminal Heavy Cargo Handling & Stevedoring (Heavy Crane Ops) (TLAIAKAD), Chartering & Heavy-Lift Vessel / Barge / RoRo Solutions (TLACAIAJ)
Keywords
Where Sogebras is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bouguenais
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Sogebras business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ship Agency Services: Providing agency services to shipping lines including call preparation, coordination with port authorities, crew assistance, and husbanding/protecting services. Revenue generated through commissions and service fees.
- Stevedoring Services: Loading and unloading of all types of vessels, handling of containers (stuffing/unstuffing), and heavy-lift operations. Revenue based on tonnage, vessel size, and complexity of operations.
- Storage and Logistics Services: 45,000 m² of storage facilities across two sites (Nantes and Montoir), providing reception, order preparation, dispatch, and logistics management services.
- Customs Clearance Services: Approved customs clearing agent providing all customs formalities, tariff classification, and economic customs procedures for port goods.
- Liner Agency Services: As agent for MARFRET shipping line, handles freight sourcing, cargo preparation, supervision of operations, and transport documentation. Revenue from agency commissions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Sogebras product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sogebras is a maritime agency and port services provider operating in the Nantes Saint-Nazaire/Montoir port complex. It delivers an integrated suite of services including liner agency (representing MARFRET and Rickmers shipping lines), 24/7 ship agency, stevedoring with specialized heavy-lift equipment, 45,000 m² of storage across two sites, and customs clearance/forwarding as an AEO-certified broker. Through its subsidiary Atlantique Manutention, the company provides specialized heavy-lift handling for oversized cargo including offshore wind turbine nacelles up to 400+ tonnes.
Product overview
Sogebras is a maritime agency and port services provider offering an integrated suite of port operations services. The core portfolio comprises five interconnected service lines: Liner Agency (representing MARFRET shipping line), Ship Agency (24/7 vessel representation), Stevedoring (port cargo handling with specialized heavy-lift equipment), Storage/Logistics (45,000 m² across two sites), and Forwarding/Customs Clearance (licensed customs broker services). Through its subsidiary Atlantique Manutention, the company also provides specialized heavy-lift handling operations. The services work together to provide comprehensive port operations, with Sogebras serving as the primary interface between ships, cargo owners, port authorities, and logistics partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ship Agency
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully handled and loaded 422-tonne nacelles for offshore wind turbines
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Sogebras
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Sogebras technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sogebras partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- THLG (The Heavy Lift Group)coreInternational network of project forwarders specializing in heavy-lift logistics. Sogebras is an active member, participating in annual conferences and exhibitions. The network connects members across 30+ countries for collaborative heavy-lift and project cargo operations.
- EolhydcoreFrench port operators' network of independent partners established mainly on French maritime coastlines. Provides onshore and offshore services including port operations, heavy-lift handling and logistics, storage, and forwarding. Includes SOGENA, Cherbourg Manutention, Maritime Kuhn, and Atlantique Manutention.
- SOGENAmajorPart of the Maritime Kuhn group; one of the founding partners of Sogebras (1993 merger). Provides port services and operates in multiple French ports (Dunkerque, Calais, Le Havre, Rouen, Caen, Nantes Saint-Nazaire).
- Maritime KuhnmajorParent group of LEBRAS, one of Sogebras's founding companies. Network extends to ports of Lorient (AML), La Rochelle (FAST), Saint-Malo (AMM), Saint-Brieuc, and Cherbourg.
- MARFRETcoreShipping line represented by Sogebras as exclusive agent in France. Operates Antilles and Guyana shipping routes with 4-6 vessels, providing container and cargo services from Montoir.
- Rickmers LinescoreMultipurpose shipping line for which Sogebras serves as France agent. Operates routes connecting Europe, Middle East, India, and Asia with lifting capacity up to 120 metric tons.
- Atlantique ManutentioncoreSubsidiary of Sogebras specializing in heavy-lift handling operations. Handles loading/offloading of wind turbine nacelles, cruise ship components, and other OOG cargo. Uses specialized equipment including 400 MT heavy-lift derrick.
- OCTRAmajorFrench engineering and transport board specializing in management of very heavy components. Orchestrated GE nacelle loading operations, including development of specialized trailers for oversized cargo transport.
- Fred Olsen Wind Carrier (Brave Tern)majorNorwegian jack-up vessel operator used for transporting offshore wind turbine nacelles. Sogebras provided ship agency services for Brave Tern operations at Saint-Nazaire.
- BLP/CogemarmajorPort agency acquired by Sogebras on October 1, 2013. Acquisition included all activities, infrastructure, and personnel at Nantes-Cheviré, expanding storage capacity to over 40,000 m².
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sogebras competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AMM Atlantique Manutention Saint-Malo: Maritime Kuhn-affiliated port operator covering Saint-Malo and Saint-Brieuc, providing stevedoring and heavy-lift services in Brittany. Mirrors Sogebras' integrated port service model under the same group umbrella.
- Cherbourg Manutention: French port operator and Eolhyd network partner alongside Sogebras, providing stevedoring, heavy-lift handling, and forwarding services at Cherbourg. Closely comparable in scale, service mix, and offshore wind exposure on the Normandy coast.
- FAST Atlantique Manutention La Rochelle: Maritime Kuhn-affiliated port operator at La Rochelle delivering stevedoring, storage, and forwarding. Closely comparable in service portfolio and target customers, operating along the French Atlantic coast.
- Atlantique Manutention Lorient (AML): Maritime Kuhn group port operator at Lorient, providing stevedoring and heavy-lift handling in western France. Same parent, same business model, focused on Brittany maritime trade flows.
- SOGENA: Sister company within the Maritime KUHN group, providing port agency and stevedoring services at Dunkerque, Calais, Le Havre, Rouen, and Caen. One of the two founding entities of Sogebras (1993 merger), running an identical integrated port service model across northern French ports.
Broad incumbents
- Kuehne+Nagel: Global freight forwarding and logistics leader with strong heavy-lift/project cargo capabilities via its OCEAN capability. Operates as both a THLG network competitor and a potential partner for projects beyond Sogebras' geographic base.
- Bolloré Logistics: Major French-headquartered global logistics and freight forwarding group with port and forwarding operations. Operates at much larger scale than Sogebras but overlaps on customs clearance, forwarding, and heavy-lift project cargo.
- Geodis: French global logistics and freight forwarding major with full suite of supply chain, forwarding, and customs services. Much larger and broader than Sogebras but competes on freight forwarding and customs clearance within French maritime corridors.
- Maritime Kuhn: Parent conglomerate of Sogebras (through LEBRAS) operating port agencies across Brest, Lorient, Saint-Malo, La Rochelle, Nantes Saint-Nazaire, and Cherbourg. Larger network operator with broader port footprint than any single subsidiary.
Regional players
- Boluda Towage and Salvage: Spanish-headquartered maritime services group providing towage and port services across France and Europe. Sogebras has performed ship agency and stevedoring for Boluda tug operations at Montoir; competes for adjacent port service contracts in French Atlantic ports.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sogebras social profiles
Digital presenceSogebras compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Sogebras financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sogebras leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Sogebras subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Sogebras funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sogebras M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sogebras
What does Sogebras do?
Sogebras is a maritime agency and port services provider operating in the Nantes Saint-Nazaire/Montoir port complex. It delivers an integrated suite of services including liner agency (representing MARFRET and Rickmers shipping lines), 24/7 ship agency, stevedoring with specialized heavy-lift equipment, 45,000 m² of storage across two sites, and customs clearance/forwarding as an AEO-certified broker. Through its subsidiary Atlantique Manutention, the company provides specialized heavy-lift handling for oversized cargo including offshore wind turbine nacelles up to 400+ tonnes.
Is Sogebras a public or private company?
Sogebras is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Sogebras founded?
Sogebras was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sogebras based?
Sogebras is headquartered in Bouguenais, France, in the Europe region.
How does Sogebras make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ship Agency Services are the primary driver. The others are stevedoring Services, storage and Logistics Services, customs Clearance Services and liner Agency Services.
Who are Sogebras's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AMM Atlantique Manutention Saint-Malo, Cherbourg Manutention, FAST Atlantique Manutention La Rochelle, Atlantique Manutention Lorient (AML) and SOGENA. Broad incumbents are Kuehne+Nagel, Bolloré Logistics, Geodis and Maritime Kuhn. Boluda Towage and Salvage is listed as a regional player.
Does Sogebras have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sogebras.
What industry is Sogebras in?
Sogebras's product category is Port and Maritime Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAHALAA, Stevedoring & Vessel Loading/Discharging (Ship-to-Shore Operations), with a secondary code of TLAIAKAD, Port/Terminal Heavy Cargo Handling & Stevedoring (Heavy Crane Ops). Its NAICS code is 488320 and its SIC code is 4731.