Cooper Marine
Cooper Marine is a privately held Mobile, Alabama-based maritime services company operating the largest barge fleeting footprint in the United States, providing towing, barge affreightment, stevedoring, terminal operations, and transloading across eleven major southeastern US inland waterways.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersMobile, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cooper Marine does
Cooper Marine is a privately held maritime services company headquartered in Mobile, Alabama, that provides integrated inland waterway logistics across the southeastern United States. Its core operations span four service lines: marine towing and barge affreightment across eleven major US waterways (Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Arkansas, Illinois, Cumberland, Tombigbee, Mobile, Black Warrior, Gulf Intracoastal, and Tennessee-Tombigbee); stevedoring and terminal operations at deep-draft and inland bulk facilities; barge fleeting, shifting, cleaning, and repair; and cargo transloading at a 35-acre private facility. The company serves maritime shipping and logistics companies, industrial cargo handlers (including wood pellet and dry bulk operators), and barge fleet operators, with a horizontal segmentation approach across these business-unit segments.
The company's competitive position is built on a substantial physical asset base: 42 towing vessels (up to 4,600 HP), 500 hopper barges, one of the country's largest fleets of dry bulk gantry and floating derrick cranes, two deep-draft private cargo terminals in the Port of Mobile, public bulk terminals in the ports of Corpus Christi and Mobile, and inland marine terminals in Alabama and Mississippi. The barge fleeting footprint is described as the largest in the United States. The company maintains a 121-person workforce distributed across corporate offices in Mobile, vessel operations offices in Alabama and Louisiana, and stevedoring and fleeting operations across multiple sites.
Cooper Marine generates revenue through usage-based pricing on freight, demurrage, and delay fees for barge affreightment; professional-services pricing for stevedoring and terminal operations; and managed-services pricing for barge fleeting and shifting billed monthly. Customers are required to carry hull, general liability, workers' compensation, and excess liability insurance. Distribution is direct: enterprise sales through a dedicated commercial team including Managing Director, Senior VPs, and regional VPs, with no publicly disclosed marketing channels beyond direct contact. The company operates as part of The Cooper Group corporate family. No revenue figures, funding rounds, M&A activity, or AI/technology platform capabilities are disclosed in the available source material.
Cooper Marine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cooper Marine
- Legal name
- COOPER MARINE & TIMBERLANDS Corporation
- Website
- https://cooper-marine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Cooper Marine is a privately held Mobile, Alabama-based maritime services company operating the largest barge fleeting footprint in the United States, providing towing, barge affreightment, stevedoring, terminal operations, and transloading across eleven major southeastern US inland waterways.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cooper Marine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Logistics Services
- NAICS
- Inland Water Transportation (48321), Marine Cargo Handling (488320), Marine Cargo Handling (48832)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coastal/Sea Towage (Long-Distance Towing of Vessels/Barges) (TLAHAHAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Port Stakeholder Coordination (Terminal, Agents, Customs, Pilots, Tugs) (TLAHAFAJ), Cargo Handling & Lifting Equipment (Cranes, Derricks, Hoists) (IMAJAIAB)
Keywords
Where Cooper Marine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mobile
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Cooper Marine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Marine Towing and Barge Affreightment: Revenue from towing vessel operations and barge transportation services along major US waterways including Mississippi River, Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and other inland river systems. Charges based on freight, demurrage, and delay fees per terms and conditions.
- Stevedoring and Terminal Operations: Revenue from cargo handling, loading/unloading, and terminal operations at deep-draft and inland terminals including stevedoring services, wharfage, dockage, and transloading.
- Barge Fleeting and Shifting: Revenue from barge fleeting services including mooring, shifting, and fleet management. Billed at company rates per month for services performed, with finance charges for late payment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Monthly | Barge Fleeting Services |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Barge Affreightment Transportation |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Customer Liability Insurance Requirements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels1 record
Cooper Marine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cooper Marine provides integrated maritime services including marine towing and barge transportation via 42 towing vessels and 500 hopper barges, stevedoring and terminal operations using dry bulk gantry and floating derrick cranes, and barge fleeting and shifting services across the largest barge fleeting footprint in the United States. Operations span major US inland waterways and deep-draft and inland bulk terminals across the southeastern United States, serving shipping companies and industrial cargo handlers.
Product overview
Cooper Marine is a maritime services company offering an integrated suite of marine operations, stevedoring, and terminal services. The core offerings consist of Marine Operations (towing vessels and barges), Stevedoring and Terminal Operations (crane-based cargo handling), Barge Affreightment (transportation services), and Barge Fleeting and Shifting services. The company operates the largest barge fleeting footprint in the United States across major inland waterways.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Marine Operations Marine transportation and barge fleeting services powered by a fleet of 42 towing vessels (up to 4,600 HP) and 500 barges, operating across major U.S. inland waterways including the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Mississippi River, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and other rivers. Target customers are maritime shipping and logistics companies requiring inland waterway transportation.
- Stevedoring and Terminal Operations Deep-draft and inland bulk stevedoring operations using one of the country's largest fleets of dry bulk gantry and floating derrick cranes, spanning multiple terminals in the Port of Mobile, Port of Corpus Christi, and inland locations in Alabama and Mississippi. Target customers are industrial cargo handlers requiring cargo handling, loading/unloading, and terminal services.
- Barge Affreightment Barge transportation and freight services for cargo shipment along inland waterways, with terms and conditions covering freight sales, liability, and maritime liens. Target customers are cargo shippers requiring freight movement on U.S. inland waterways, billed based on freight, demurrage, and delay fees.
- Barge Fleeting and Shifting Barge fleeting services including the largest barge fleeting footprint in the United States, operating fleets on the Lower Mississippi River, Port of Mobile, Yellow Creek State Inland Port, and numerous private terminal barge fleets along the U.S. inland waterway system. Billed at company rates per month for services performed. Target customers are barge fleet operators requiring mooring, shifting, and fleet management services.
Companies that use Cooper Marine
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cooper Marine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Cooper Marine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cooper Marine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Blessey Marine Services: Operates towboats, barges, fleeting facilities, and marine fuel services along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and Lower Mississippi River. Closely comparable to Cooper Marine's barge fleeting and shifting business on overlapping waterways.
- Heartland Barge Management: Provides barge fleeting, cleaning, and repair services along the inland waterway system. Comparable to Cooper Marine's barge fleeting footprint as a direct service overlap.
- Ingram Marine Group: Operates one of the largest US fleets of inland marine vessels, including towing, barge transportation, fleeting, and shifting services on the Mississippi River system and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Direct overlap with Cooper Marine's core marine operations footprint.
- American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL): Major US inland barge operator providing towing, barge transportation, and fleeting services across the Mississippi River and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway system. Directly competes with Cooper Marine on inland barge affreightment and towing.
- Kirby Corporation: Largest inland marine transportation company in the United States, operating tank and dry cargo barges with a towboat fleet on the Mississippi River System and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Closest direct competitor to Cooper Marine's barge towing, affreightment, and fleeting operations.
- Crescent Towing & Salvage: Provides towing, salvage, and marine services primarily along the Gulf Coast and Lower Mississippi River. Directly comparable to Cooper Marine's Gulf-focused towing and vessel operations.
- Marquette Transportation Company: Inland marine transportation provider operating tugboats and barges primarily on the Mississippi River, Ohio River, and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Comparable to Cooper Marine in towing and barge freight services on shared inland waterways.
- Canal Barge Company: Operates a fleet of tank and dry cargo barges and towboats on the inland waterway system, including fleeting and shifting services. Direct competitor in inland barge transportation and fleeting.
Others
- Alabama State Port Authority (Port of Mobile): Public port authority where Cooper Marine operates two deep-draft private terminals and public bulk terminals. An enabling counterpart rather than competitor — relevant ecosystem participant in Cooper Marine's terminal business.
- Port Corpus Christi: Public port authority at which Cooper Marine operates bulk terminals. Ecosystem participant rather than competitor — provides the deep-draft access that anchors Cooper Marine's Corpus Christi stevedoring business.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cooper Marine social profiles
Digital presenceCooper Marine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cooper Marine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Cooper Marine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cooper Marine 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 Cooper Marine
What does Cooper Marine do?
Cooper Marine provides integrated maritime services including marine towing and barge transportation via 42 towing vessels and 500 hopper barges, stevedoring and terminal operations using dry bulk gantry and floating derrick cranes, and barge fleeting and shifting services across the largest barge fleeting footprint in the United States. Operations span major US inland waterways and deep-draft and inland bulk terminals across the southeastern United States, serving shipping companies and industrial cargo handlers.
Is Cooper Marine a public or private company?
Cooper Marine is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Cooper Marine founded?
Cooper Marine was founded in 2018. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Cooper Marine based?
Cooper Marine is headquartered in Mobile, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cooper Marine make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Marine Towing and Barge Affreightment is the primary driver. The others are stevedoring and Terminal Operations and barge Fleeting and Shifting.
Who are Cooper Marine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Blessey Marine Services, Heartland Barge Management, Ingram Marine Group, American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL), Kirby Corporation, Crescent Towing & Salvage, Marquette Transportation Company and Canal Barge Company. Others are Alabama State Port Authority (Port of Mobile) and Port Corpus Christi.
Does Cooper Marine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cooper Marine.
What industry is Cooper Marine in?
Cooper Marine's product category is Maritime Logistics Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAHAHAE, Coastal/Sea Towage (Long-Distance Towing of Vessels/Barges), with a secondary code of TLAHAFAJ, Port Stakeholder Coordination (Terminal, Agents, Customs, Pilots, Tugs). Its NAICS code is 48321 and its SIC code is 4400.