Marcus Henry Bland

What Marcus Henry Bland does

MH Bland & Co Ltd is a privately held, family-owned maritime and tourism services company headquartered in Gibraltar, founded in 1810 by Liverpool merchant Marcus Henry Bland and later acquired by the Gaggero family, who continue to lead it. The company operates two divisions: a Marine Division providing port agency services, stevedoring, bunkering, marine lubricant distribution, harbour craft operations, and hull cleaning, and a Tourism Division encompassing Calypso Tours, the Cable Car Gibraltar attraction, Mons Calpe Suite venue, and an IATA-bonded travel agency. The Marine Division leverages a network of port agency offices across Gibraltar, Spain (including the Canary Islands), Morocco, and Malta, operating under a 'One Network – One Solution' philosophy that delivers 24/7 service to ship owners, operators, and charterers transiting the Strait of Gibraltar — one of the world's busiest maritime corridors. The company holds Gibraltar's sole licenses for stevedoring and marine lubricant delivery, supported by a 600,000-litre lubricant storage facility, twin lube-oil barges (MHB Oilfish and Dragonfish) with 980,000L combined capacity, a 250-tonne Gottwald mobile harbour crane, and digital tools including the Port Updates platform and Partner Portal.

The business model is built on professional services fees across B2B maritime clients (ship owners, operators, charterers, bunkering customers) and B2C tourism revenue (tourists, cruise passengers, business travelers). MH Bland is family-owned with no external institutional investment, holding ISO 9001 certifications across multiple entities and ISO 14001 for the Ceuta port agency, alongside compliance with MARPOL Annex VI and ISGOTT standards for bunkering operations. The company serves marquee shipping clients including Maersk Line, Stena Line, and Holland America Line, processes crew changes and customs clearance for ~115,000 vessels annually in the region, and generates secondary revenue from tourism assets, including the iconic 412m Cable Car to the Top of the Rock.

Name

Marcus Henry Bland

Legal name

MH Bland & Co Ltd

Website

https://mhbland.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1810

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

MH Bland is a Gibraltar-based, family-owned maritime and tourism services group founded in 1810, providing port agency, stevedoring, bunkering, and marine lubricant services across the Strait of Gibraltar region, alongside tourism operations including the Gibraltar Cable Car and Calypso Tours.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Port Agency and Marine Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine MRO Parts & Consumables Distribution (TLAKAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Crew, Marine & Offshore Travel Management (THAKACAF)

Keywords

• Port agency services
• Marine stevedoring
• Vessel bunkering
• Marine lubricant supply
• Maritime tourism services

Headquarters

HQ city

Gibraltar

HQ country

Gibraltar

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Port Agency Services: Fees for comprehensive port agency services including customs clearance, vessel documentation, husbandry services, crew changes, and coordination with port authorities across their network of offices in Gibraltar, Spain, Morocco, and Malta
2. Marine Services: Revenue from stevedoring, harbour craft operations, workboat services, lube-oil barge deliveries, and cargo handling equipment (250-tonne Gottwald crane). Includes Gibraltar's sole licensed stevedoring service and sole marine lubricant delivery service.
3. Tourism Operations: Revenue from Cable Car Gibraltar operations, Calypso Tours excursion services, Mons Calpe Suite restaurant/venue, and MH Bland Travel Services (IATA bonded travel agency)

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MH Bland is a Gibraltar-based group operating two divisions: a Marine Division providing port agency, stevedoring, bunkering, marine lubricant supply, hull cleaning, and crew change services across Gibraltar, Spain, Morocco, and Malta, and a Tourism Division running Calypso Tours, the Cable Car Gibraltar attraction, the Mons Calpe Suite venue, and an IATA-bonded travel agency. The group's port agency operates 24/7 with a 'One Network – One Solution' philosophy, supported by owned marine assets including harbour craft, lube-oil barges, and a 250-tonne crane.

Product overview

MH Bland & Co Ltd is a maritime and tourism services company established in 1810, operating two main divisions. The Marine Division provides port agency services across Gibraltar, Spain (including Canary Islands), Morocco, and Malta; marine services including stevedoring, harbour craft operations, lube oil barges (MHB Oilfish, Dragonfish), and a 600,000-litre lubricant storage facility; hull cleaning and repairs; and bunkering services. The Tourism Division operates Calypso Tours (tour operations in Gibraltar, Morocco, Spain, Canary Islands, Jamaica and Cuba), Cable Car Gibraltar (412m climb to Top of the Rock), Mons Calpe Suite (function venue and restaurant), and MH Bland Travel Services (IATA bonded travel agency). The company also provides digital services including Port Updates (real-time port monitoring) and a Partner Portal. All operations are supported by HSSEQ compliance including ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Port Agency Services 24/7 port agency services for ship owners, operators and charterers across Gibraltar, Spain, Canary Islands, Morocco and Malta, including vessel clearance, husbandry, crew changes, customs, transportation, accommodation, medical support, underwater hull inspections and propeller polishing.
• Marine Services Principal stevedoring company and leading provider of supply vessels, workboats and barges in Gibraltar, operating harbour craft, lube-oil barges and cargo handling equipment including a 250-ton Gottwald crane.
• Hull Cleaning & Repairs Underwater hull cleaning and repair services delivered by certified divers to high safety and quality standards, coordinated with MH Bland port agency services during vessel port calls.
• Bunkering Services Comprehensive bunkering solutions in Gibraltar covering VLSFO, LSMGO, HSFO and biofuel blends, with ship-to-ship transfers from bunker barges at anchor and alongside berthing for smaller vessels, compliant with ISO 8217, MARPOL Annex VI and ISGOTT standards.
• Marine Lubricant Bulk Storage Facility 600,000-litre lubricant storage facility in Gibraltar supplying marine lubricant deliveries from combined barge capacity of 980,000 litres, ensuring uninterrupted supply to vessels passing through the Strait of Gibraltar.
• Crew Change Services End-to-end crew change logistics in Gibraltar, including visa and documentation management, transportation coordination, accommodation arrangements and medical and support services.
• Stevedoring Services Gibraltar's only licensed stevedoring service, providing 24/7 container handling, cargo loading/unloading and heavy lift capability via a 250-ton Gottwald mobile harbour crane with 36-ton lifting capacity.
• Malta Ship Registration Services Vessel registration services under the Malta Flag, covering new registrations, transfer of ownership and bareboat charter registrations for merchant ships, pleasure yachts and commercial yachts, leveraging Malta's EU whitelist status and QUALSHIP 21 recognition.
• Port Updates (Digital Service) Real-time online portal at portupdates.mhbland.com providing clients and partners with updates on delays and disruptions across MH Bland-served ports, enabling swift decision-making and operational optimisation.
• Partner Portal Password-protected online portal providing selected partners with useful information and access to MH Bland's Port Updates data for port operation tracking.
• Calypso Tours Tour operator brand creating and delivering guided excursions and travel experiences in Gibraltar, Morocco, Spain, the Canary Islands, Jamaica and Cuba, using a dedicated fleet of vehicles including branded awareness buses.
• Cable Car Gibraltar Gibraltar's unique tourist attraction, built, owned and operated by MH Bland, climbing 412m to the Top of the Rock in 6 minutes with views of 2 continents, 2 oceans and 3 countries and Barbary Ape viewing.
• Mons Calpe Suite Private function venue and restaurant and bar located at the Top of the Rock in Gibraltar, part of the Cable Car attraction, available for hire as a unique event space.
• MH Bland Travel Services IATA-bonded travel agency providing expert service and advice and specialising in business travel and cruise holidays, working closely with travel partners to manage every detail of the journey.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,500 tonnes bunkered in 9-hour anchorage call, saving estimated USD $80,000 vs deviation to Las Palmas
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hull Cleaning & RepairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company providing underwater hull inspections and propeller polishing services. Operations conducted by certified divers adhering to highest safety and quality standards. Seamless coordination with MH Bland port agency services for vessels requiring underwater work during port calls in Algeciras and other locations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• V.Group: One of the world's largest ship management and crewing companies, providing crew changes, technical management, and marine services globally. Comparable to MH Bland on crew change logistics and broader marine service delivery.
• GAC Group: Global shipping, port agency and logistics group offering vessel clearance, husbandry, crew changes, and marine services across 1,000+ locations. Most directly comparable to MH Bland's port agency network and is a clear incumbent competitor for tier-one shipping principals in the Mediterranean.
• World Fuel Services (World Fuel Marine): Global marine fuel supplier and vessel services provider offering bunkering, lubricant delivery, and voyage optimization. Comparable to MH Bland's bunkering and marine lubricant delivery franchise but operating at global scale.
• Wilhelmsen Ship Management: Global maritime services group spanning ship management, marine products, port services, and crew welfare. Comparable in marine product distribution and port services scope, though much larger and more diversified than MH Bland.
• Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement: Global ship management group with offices across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, providing crew management, technical services, and maritime operations. Comparable to MH Bland in marine service breadth though operating at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Calvia Nautical Services / Boluda Towage: Mediterranean-based towage, port services, and stevedoring operator. Highly relevant regional competitor for MH Bland's marine services, particularly in Algeciras and Canary Islands where MH Bland operates port agency offices.

Direct peers

• Inchcape Shipping Services: Major international port agency and maritime services provider offering vessel agency, crew logistics, bunker coordination, and husbandry services. Direct competitor to MH Bland's port agency offering, particularly in Mediterranean and West African ports.
• Peninsula Petroleum: Independent marine fuel (bunker) supplier operating across major bunker hubs including the Mediterranean and West Africa. Directly comparable to MH Bland's bunkering and marine lubricant delivery business.
• Wrist Group: Leading global ship supplier and marine products distributor providing provisions, bonded stores, cabin supplies, and marine lubricants to vessels worldwide. Closely comparable to MH Bland's marine lubricant bulk storage and delivery franchise.

Emerging players

• Tramp Oil & Marine: Specialist marine lubricant supplier providing oils, greases, and fuel additives to vessels globally with focus on offshore, commercial, and cruise segments. Highly comparable to MH Bland's marine lubricant storage and delivery franchise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/mhblandgroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mhbland
• Facebookfacebook.com/MHBLANDGROUPOFCOMPANIES
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mh-bland-group-of-companies
• Instagraminstagram.com/mhblandgroup

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries8 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 Marcus Henry Bland