What The Cooper Group does

The Cooper Group, founded in 1905 by Angus Royal Cooper in Mobile, Alabama, is one of America's oldest and largest privately held, family-owned stevedoring and maritime services conglomerates, now in its fourth generation of family leadership (Angus Cooper III and Scott Cooper). The company operates across all three U.S. coasts and internationally in Mexico through a portfolio of wholly-owned subsidiaries (Cooper Marine, Cooper Consolidated, Crescent Towing, Cooper Mooring, Cooper Timberlands, Cooper Lumber, Blakeley BoatWorks, Cooper-Wilkins Welding, Southeastern Propeller Services, Cooper Restaurants) and strategic joint ventures (Cooper/Ports America, CP&O with Ports America Group, CSA with SSA Marine, and Cooper/T. Smith de Mexico with GMD). Its core services span stevedoring, tugboat and towboat operations, barge fleeting, terminal operations, multi-modal logistics, shipyard and vessel repair, forestry and sawmill operations, and restaurant/hospitality.

The company's asset base is substantial: 42 towing vessels, 450 hopper barges, 24 tugboats up to 6,700 HP (expanding to 15 ASD tugs across three ports by 2029), 600+ barge fleeting capacity on the Lower Mississippi River, an 8-fleet Lower Mississippi River presence, a 26-acre shipyard with 1,900-short-ton floating dry dock and 660-short-ton travel lift at Blakeley BoatWorks, and deployment of North America's largest E-crane bulk cranes. Notable technology includes the M/V Gretchen V. Cooper (nation's first Tier 4 linehaul towing vessel) and new 6,000 HP Z-drive tugboats built in-house. Technology partnerships with E-crane, Corn Island Shipyard, and Crowley Engineering Services support equipment innovation.

The business model is enterprise B2B professional and managed services delivered through direct field sales and direct operations across the Gulf Coast, Atlantic Coast, Pacific Coast, and Mexico, with quote-based pricing on cargo handling, marine transportation, and integrated logistics contracts. Customers span industrial sectors including agriculture, energy, chemicals, construction, steel, grain/export (including Zen-Noh Grain), and Gulf Coast refineries. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the firm employs 10,000+ worldwide. Strategic positioning emphasizes integrated, door-to-door cargo movement with state-of-the-art equipment, automated facilities, and experienced personnel across a coast-to-coast port and inland waterway footprint.

Name

The Cooper Group

Legal name

COOPER/T. SMITH Corporation

Website

https://thecoopergroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Cooper Group is a privately held, fourth-generation family-owned maritime services conglomerate founded in 1905, providing stevedoring, tugboat operations, barge fleeting, terminal operations, logistics, shipyard repair, and forestry services to industrial customers across all three U.S. coasts and Mexico through wholly-owned subsidiaries and joint ventures.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Services

NAICS

Marine Cargo Handling (488320), Marine Cargo Handling (48832), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Ship and Boat Building (3366), Ship and Boat Building (33661)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Terminal Cargo Handling & Yard Operations (Receiving, Staging, Delivery) (TLAHALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spare Parts, Ship Chandlery & Logistics to Vessel (TLAHAJAF), Marine Service Provider Coordination (Diving, Inspection, Class/Survey Support) (TLAHAJAI)

Keywords

• Maritime stevedoring
• Barge fleeting
• Terminal operations
• Shipyard vessel repair
• Marine logistics services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mobile

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices27 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Stevedoring Services: Cargo loading and unloading services on all three U.S. coasts and internationally. Services include handling all types of cargo with state-of-the-art equipment and automation.
2. Tugboat and Towboat Operations: Ship assist towing services through Crescent Towing, operating on the Mississippi River and in ports of Mobile, Alabama and Savannah, Georgia. Powered by 24 tugboats with up to 6,700 HP.
3. Barge Services: Fleeting and barge service capabilities along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, including liquid and dry cargo barges, barge cleaning and repair services.
4. Terminal Operations: Receiving and delivery of cargo, weighing, sorting, clerking and sampling services for break bulk and containerized cargo.
5. Logistics Services: Supply chain management and multi-services packages including barging, warehousing, rail and truck services. Turnkey door-to-door service capabilities.
6. Forestry Operations: Timber products to wood-consuming industries in southeastern U.S., including sawmill operations producing lumber for domestic and export markets.
7. Shipyard and Vessel Repair: Shipyard facilities through Blakeley BoatWorks, Cooper/Wilkins Welding & Machine Co., and Southeastern Propeller Services. New construction and repair services.
8. Restaurant Operations: Hospitality division including Ruth's Chris Steak House franchise, Felix's Fish Camp Grill, and BLUEGILL Restaurant.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Cooper Group provides maritime services including stevedoring, marine terminal operations, barge fleeting, tugboat operations, shipyard and vessel repair, marine logistics, and timberland/forestry operations through a network of subsidiaries along the U.S. Gulf Coast and inland waterways. Services are sold to industrial cargo shippers, energy and chemical producers, agricultural exporters, and government agencies.

Product overview

The Cooper Group is a maritime services conglomerate offering a comprehensive portfolio of port and marine operations through its various subsidiary brands. The company operates as a platform of complementary maritime services including stevedoring (via Cooper Marine, Cooper Consolidated, CSA, CP&O, and Cooper/Ports America), tugboat and towboat operations (via Crescent Towing), barge fleeting and marine transportation (via Cooper Marine), terminal operations, logistics services, shipyard and vessel repair (via Blakeley BoatWorks), forestry operations (via Cooper Timberlands and Cooper Lumber), mooring services (via Cooper Mooring), and restaurant operations. The company provides integrated maritime solutions across all three U.S. coasts and internationally in Mexico, with headquarters in Mobile, Alabama. Established in 1905, it is one of America's oldest and largest stevedoring and maritime firms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stevedoring and Terminal Operations Loading, unloading, and handling of bulk and break-bulk cargo at marine terminals along the U.S. Gulf Coast, provided to industrial shippers, energy producers, and agricultural exporters.
• Cooper Marine Barge Transportation and Fleeting Barge fleeting and marine transportation services on the inland waterways and Gulf Coast, including barge storage, switching, and towing assistance for commodity shippers.
• Crescent Towing Tugboat Services Harbor and offshore tugboat assistance for vessels and barge tows operating along the U.S. Gulf Coast, delivered through the Cooper Group's Z-drive tugboat fleet.
• Blakeley BoatWorks Shipyard and Vessel Repair Shipyard, vessel construction, repair, and dry-docking services for commercial and government marine operators, performed at the Mobile, Alabama facility.
• Cooper-Wilkins Welding and Machine Shop Services Welding, machining, and fabrication services supporting marine and industrial customers, including propeller and component repair.
• Southeastern Propeller Services Marine propeller sales, servicing, and repair for commercial vessels operating in the Gulf Coast region.
• Cooper Consolidated Dry Dock Services Dry-dock repair services for marine vessels, supporting scheduled and emergency repair work in the Mobile, Alabama area.
• Cooper/T. Smith de Mexico Services Stevedoring and terminal operations provided to industrial customers in Mexico through the Cooper/T. Smith joint venture.
• Cooper Timberlands and Cooper Lumber Timberland management and lumber production operations supplying forest products to industrial customers.
• Cooper Mooring Services Mooring services for vessels calling at Gulf Coast terminals, supporting safe berthing and unberthing operations.
• Cooper Restaurants Restaurant operations associated with the Cooper Group, providing food service to customers and the surrounding community.
• Marine Logistics Services End-to-end coordination of cargo movements across terminals, barges, fleeting sites, and tugboats, providing logistics solutions to industrial shippers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 260 barges fleeting capacity at Port of Mobile
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GMD (Grupo Mexicano de Desarrollo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership between The Cooper Group and GMD to form Cooper/T. Smith de Mexico, providing stevedoring and terminal services for bulk minerals and general cargo at Port of Altamira in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Ports America GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership between The Cooper Group and Ports America Group to form CP&O, providing stevedoring and terminal services at all major terminal facilities in the Port of Hampton Roads, Virginia.
• SSA MarinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic alliance between The Cooper Group Stevedoring and SSA Marine to form CSA, offering break bulk and heavy lift operations, terminal operations for loading and unloading rail cars, trucks and river barges, as well as container services.
• Environmental InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to reduce emissions from 10 tugboats in Crescent Towing fleet. Funded through EPA Diesel Emission Reduction Act grant. Emissions reduced by equivalent of roughly two tons over several months.
• U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyminorOthersEPA Region 6 Diesel Emission Reduction Act grant funding for tugboat engine upgrades to reduce emissions.
• Waterways CouncilminorOthersWaterways Council, Inc. is an important industry partner representing The Cooper Group's interests in inland waterways policy and advocacy.
• Port of New OrleanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Louisiana SmartPort Initiative - $1.6 million Department of Commerce grant for development of Lower Mississippi River SmartPort & Resilience Center.
• Water Institute of the GulfminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorked closely with Port of New Orleans, IBM, and Crescent Towing during development of Lower Mississippi River SmartPort & Resilience Center.
• Greater New Orleans Barge Fleeting Association (GNOBFA)minorOthersWorks to promote professional relationships between members, disseminate information pertaining to fleeting and the river industry, and improve relations between communities, government regulators, and industry organizations.
• Alabama PowerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for artificial reef project - decommissioned steam plant equipment from Alabama Power was used to create artificial reef system in Gulf of Mexico.
• E-cranecoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipment supplier partnership for North America's largest E-crane bulk cranes ('Pelican' and 'Creole King') for Cooper Consolidated's Mississippi River operations.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Crowley Maritime: Diversified maritime services and logistics company with ship assist, tugboats, and vessel engineering; comparable tugboat/ship assist business (Crowley Engineering designed Cooper's new tugs) and broader marine services portfolio.
• SCF Marine (Stena Line / Stena Bulk related): Major global shipping and barge operator with U.S. inland waterway exposure; broad-incumbent peer for marine cargo handling and transportation services in regions where Cooper operates.
• Höegh Autoliners / Watco (Watco Companies): Watco operates terminal and port services, rail, and marine solutions including barge fleeting along inland waterways; broad incumbent in the same maritime services space with overlapping fleeting and terminal capabilities.

Emerging players

• Genesis Marine: Gulf Coast barge fleeting and shifting services provider; comparable regional fleeting operations, particularly on the Lower Mississippi River where Cooper Consolidated operates multiple fleets.

Direct peers

• Blessey Marine Services: Gulf Coast marine transportation company operating tugboats, barges, and fleeting services; directly comparable tugboat and barge fleeting operations to Crescent Towing and Cooper Marine.
• SSA Marine: Global terminal operator and stevedore; direct peer in break bulk, heavy lift, and terminal operations, and Cooper's partner in the CSA joint venture serving the U.S. Pacific Coast.
• Kirby Corporation: Largest inland tank barge operator in the U.S. with marine transportation, distribution, and services; directly comparable barge transportation and fleeting operations along the Mississippi River system where Cooper Consolidated and Cooper Marine operate.
• Ports America: Largest marine terminal operator and stevedore in the United States; direct stevedoring and terminal services peer, and also Cooper's JV partner in CP&O (Hampton Roads) and Cooper/Ports America (Houston).
• American Commercial Barge Lines (ACBL): Major U.S. inland barge transportation and fleeting services provider; directly overlaps with Cooper's barge fleeting and towboat operations along the Lower Mississippi River and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
• Bollinger Shipyards: Largest private shipbuilder in the U.S. with new construction and repair yards across the Gulf Coast; directly comparable to Blakeley BoatWorks for vessel newbuild and repair services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries14 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 The Cooper Group