Modern American Recycling Services

What Modern American Recycling Services does

Modern American Recycling Services, Inc. (M.A.R.S.) is a privately held industrial recycling and decommissioning company founded in 1971 by Dwight "Butch" Caton Sr. The company operates six owned-and-operated facilities across the US Gulf Coast (Gibson, Waggaman, Houma, Mobile, Pascagoula) and Europe (Frederikshavn, Denmark), with a proposed facility under development in Presidente Kennedy, Brazil. M.A.R.S. provides rig decommissioning, ship and vessel recycling, barge dismantling, and large-scale metal recycling services — including the handling of hazardous materials such as NORM, asbestos, and mercury — and self-identifies as the largest barge dismantler and offshore decommissioning provider in the United States. The company's Frederikshavn facility is an EU Approved Green recycling site with stated capacity in excess of 200,000 tons of metal annually and is operated through the wholly owned subsidiary M.A.R.S. Europe A/S.

M.A.R.S. generates revenue through two streams: (1) professional services for decommissioning, dismantling, and hazardous-material remediation on a custom-quote basis for oil & gas operators, maritime ship owners, and barge owners; and (2) hardware sales of recovered industrial equipment (valves, HVAC, pumps, electrical systems, accommodation modules, engines, deck equipment) resold through the company website. The company's underlying technology centers on tailor-made procedures for safe cleaning and recycling of contaminated assets, M.A.R.S.-designed employee training programs, and compliance with EU Ship Recycling Regulation, Hong Kong International Convention, and Basel Convention standards. Operational scale is anchored by a Panamax floating dry dock with 22,000-ton capacity at Mobile, a 4,400-ft waterfront with 44-ft channel depth, and a cumulative track record of 10 million tons of offshore structures recycled and 10,000+ barges salvaged over 53 years.

The business is family-controlled under the Caton family, with Dwight "Butch" Caton Sr. as President and Kristi Caton serving as President of M.A.R.S. Europe A/S and VP of M.A.R.S. USA. The European operation is led by CEO Kim Thygesen and supported by CCO Marcella Croes-Schalken covering all non-US business. Headcount is approximately 350 associates in the US plus 85 employees in Europe (with stated plans to expand European staff to 300+). Distribution is entirely direct — no intermediaries or resellers — with services delivered at company facilities and equipment sold through the corporate website. The company has no disclosed institutional investors, no funding rounds on record, and no public revenue figures; it has been recognized as a 5-time Inc. 5000 honoree and by the Shipbuilder's Council of America as one of the safest shipyards in the US.

Name

Modern American Recycling Services

Legal name

Modern American Recycling Services, Inc.

Website

https://www.modernamericanrecyclingservices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Modern American Recycling Services is a US-based, family-owned industrial recycler and decommissioner that dismantles barges, ships, and offshore rigs for oil & gas, maritime, and barge-owning clients, operating six facilities across the US Gulf Coast and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Recycling and Offshore Decommissioning Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629), Remediation Services (562910)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Asset Recovery & Decommissioning (Derelict Vessels, Abandoned Property) (IMAJANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pollution Response & Environmental Salvage (Oil Spill, HAZMAT) (IMAJANAF), Vehicle & Machinery Salvage (Heavy Equipment, Rail, Marine, Agricultural) (EUAIAJAL), Solvent Recovery & Hazardous Waste Recycling/Reclamation (Distillation, Reuse) (BPALAFAH)

Keywords

• Ship recycling services
• Offshore decommissioning
• Barge dismantling
• Hazardous material handling
• Industrial equipment resale

Headquarters

HQ city

La Jolla

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Decommissioning Services: Rig decommissioning, ship dismantling, and vessel recycling services for offshore platforms, ships, and barges. Services include cleaning, hazardous material removal, and material recovery.
2. Equipment Sales: Sale of recycled equipment and components from decommissioned vessels and rigs, including valves, utility systems, HVAC, and various industrial equipment. Sold through company website.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Modern American Recycling Services (M.A.R.S.) dismantles and recycles end-of-life offshore platforms, ships, vessels, and barges, with specialized procedures for hazardous material handling (NORM, asbestos, mercury). The company operates its own recycling facilities across the US Gulf Coast and in Frederikshavn, Denmark, where it cleans, dismantles, and recycles maritime and offshore assets for oil and gas operators, ship owners, and barge operators. It also resells recovered industrial equipment from decommissioned vessels.

Product overview

Modern American Recycling Services (MARS) is an industrial recycling and decommissioning company offering a comprehensive suite of services for end-of-life maritime and offshore assets. The company operates a platform-plus-services model consisting of four core service lines: Rig Decommissioning (offshore platform dismantling at Gibson, Louisiana), Barge Dismantling (at Waggaman, Louisiana), Ship and Vessel Recycling (including hazardous material handling), and European Large Scale Recycling (EU-approved facility in Frederikshavn, Denmark with 200,000+ ton annual capacity). Additionally, MARS operates an Industrial Equipment Sales division that resells recovered and recycled equipment from decommissioned assets across multiple categories including accommodation, compressors, deck equipment, electrical, engines, HVAC, valves, and utility systems. The company was founded in 1971, headquartered in Gibson, Louisiana, and employs approximately 350 associates across Gulf Coast facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 92%+ recycling rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Shore Offshore ServicesminorOthersRelated company listed in website navigation. Nature of relationship unclear from available sources. May share common ownership or management with M.A.R.S.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ESCO Marine: ESCO Marine operates one of the largest commercial ship recycling facilities in the US Gulf Coast, directly competing with M.A.R.S. on rig decommissioning, ship dismantling, and barge recycling in the same geography.
• International Shipbreaking Ltd: Part of the EMR Group, International Shipbreaking operates from Brownsville, Texas and is one of the largest US ship recyclers, competing head-to-head with M.A.R.S. Mobile on end-of-life vessels and offshore structures.
• Able UK: Able UK operates large-scale, EU-approved ship recycling and decommissioning facilities at Hartlepool, directly comparable to M.A.R.S. Frederikshavn in serving European-flagged end-of-life vessels under EU Ship Recycling Regulation.
• Global Marketing Systems (GMS): GMS is a leading provider of offshore decommissioning and marine services, including offshore platform removal, vessel recycling, and rig disposal, directly comparable to M.A.R.S.'s decommissioning portfolio.
• Donjon Marine: Donjon Marine provides marine salvage, dredging, and vessel recycling services on the US East Coast and Gulf, overlapping with M.A.R.S. on ship dismantling and offshore asset recovery.

Broad incumbents

• Smit Salvage (Boskalis): Smit Salvage, part of Boskalis, is a global marine salvage and wreck removal operator with broader offshore and subsea capabilities, overlapping with M.A.R.S. on maritime decommissioning and emergency response.
• Stena Recycling: Stena Recycling operates one of Europe's largest metals recovery and recycling networks, overlapping with M.A.R.S. Europe on metal recovery and regulatory-compliant industrial recycling, though with a broader non-maritime focus.
• Veolia Environmental Services: Veolia is a global waste management and environmental services company addressing hazardous waste, industrial recycling, and remediation; relevant to M.A.R.S.'s hazardous material handling and materials recovery operations at scale.

Regional players

• Higgins Family of Companies: Includes related marine and energy services operations focused on the US Gulf Coast, partial overlap with M.A.R.S. on vessel and offshore asset work in a similar regional footprint.

Others

• Boluda Towage: Boluda Towage is a global maritime towage and salvage services provider; adjacent to M.A.R.S. in marine services ecosystem, with limited overlap on ship recycling but sharing maritime customer relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/kim-thygesen-23255215b

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Modern American Recycling Services