What Pelagic Marine Services does

Pelagic Group (referenced in some materials as Pelagic Marine Services) is a privately held Western Australian marine services holding company headquartered in North Fremantle, jointly owned by Chris Norman and Michael Sier. The group operates four wholly-owned subsidiaries: Rottnest Barge Service, JMC Marine Group, The Boathouse Marina, and Pier 21 Marina. Co-owner Chris Norman is a co-founder of Austal Limited and a naval architect with international vessel-sales experience, while Michael Sier brings a commercial and structured-finance background from Macquarie Equities and Austal Limited, providing the group with both technical shipbuilding credibility and access to project finance capability. The company is privately held with no external institutional investors identified and no public listing.

The group's service portfolio spans three integrated marine segments. Rottnest Barge Service operates two dedicated landing craft — Kaya and Spinifex — providing freight and logistics to Rottnest Island for utilities, supplies, and construction materials. JMC Marine Group delivers turn-key maritime construction projects including jetty remediation, pile installation, steel fabrication through an in-house facility, coastal protection works, and subsea cable deployment support, serving both government authorities and commercial clients. The Boathouse Marina and Pier 21 Marina provide premium berthing, fully enclosed dry boat storage, and waterfront amenities to Perth-area recreational boat owners along the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour and the Swan River respectively.

Revenue is generated through a mix of project-based construction contracts (notably with Rottnest Island Authority, City of Cockburn, MG Kailis Group, and Recfishwest), service-based marine transport fees, and recurring marina berthing and storage subscriptions. The group has demonstrated execution at scale on complex projects, including fabrication and installation of 22 fender piles for the Rottnest Island Ferry Jetty, deployment of 135 three-tonne world-first Bombara wave attenuating modules, and 300 concrete modules for Western Australia's largest artificial reef at Carnarvon. Geographic operations remain concentrated in Western Australia.

Name

Pelagic Marine Services

Legal name

Pelagic Group

Website

https://pelagic.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pelagic Group is a privately held Western Australian marine services holding company with four subsidiaries — Rottnest Barge Service, JMC Marine Group, The Boathouse Marina, and Pier 21 Marina — delivering marine transport, maritime construction, and marina berthing services across Western Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Ship and Boat Building (3366), Marinas (71393)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Landing Craft & Amphibious Workboats (LCM/LCT-style, Beaching Craft) (IMAJADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Underwater Hull Inspection, Cleaning & Propeller Services (TLAKAKAJ), Offshore/Remote Port Call & Anchorage Services (Launch Boats, Crew Boats, Supply Runs) (TLAHAJAM)

Keywords

• Marine construction services
• Marine transport logistics
• Marina berthing services
• Boat storage facilities
• Maritime infrastructure services

Headquarters

HQ city

North Fremantle

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Marine Transport Services: Rottnest Barge Service provides freight and logistics to Rottnest Island including utilities, supplies, and construction materials via dedicated landing craft (Kaya and Spinifex)
2. Maritime Construction Projects: JMC Marine Group delivers turn-key maritime construction projects including jetty remediation, pile installation, steel fabrication, and marine infrastructure work for government and commercial clients
3. Marina Berthing and Storage: The Boathouse Marina and Pier 21 Marina provide premium berthing, dry boat storage, and lifestyle amenities for boat owners in Fremantle area

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Pelagic Marine Services is a Western Australian marine services holding company operating through four subsidiary brands: Rottnest Barge Service (freight and logistics to Rottnest Island via dedicated landing craft), JMC Marine Group (turn-key maritime construction, vessel maintenance, engineering, and steel fabrication), The Boathouse Marina (fully enclosed undercover dry boat storage and private marina), and Pier 21 Marina (berthing facilities along Perth's Swan River). The group delivers integrated marine construction, transport, and waterfront services to government authorities, commercial operators, and private boat owners.

Product overview

Pelagic Group is a marine services holding company offering a portfolio of complementary services across marine construction, marine transport, and marina industries. The group comprises four distinct service brands: Rottnest Barge Service (freight transport to Rottnest Island via landing craft), JMC Marine Group (maritime construction, vessel maintenance, steel fabrication, and professional marine consultancy), The Boathouse Marina (undercover dry boat storage and private berthing in Fremantle), and Pier 21 Marina (berthing facilities along the Swan River). Together these companies deliver integrated marine solutions spanning logistics, construction, and waterfront amenities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rottnest Barge Service Freight transport and logistics service to Rottnest Island, delivering utilities, supplies, and construction materials via two dedicated landing craft vessels (Kaya and Spinifex). Serves construction companies, utilities, and supply businesses needing reliable freight access to the island.
• JMC Marine Group
• The Boathouse Marina
• Pier 21 Marina

Quantifiable outcome

• Deployed 135 three-tonne wave attenuating modules addressing over 50 metres of shoreline erosion
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht ClubminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Pelagic Group was proud to sponsor the 2025 Warren Jones International Regatta, an international youth sailing event. The locally run Regatta was founded in 2003 to honour Warren Jones, an icon in the WA Sailing Community.
• MG Kailis GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024JMC Marine Group was engaged by MG Kailis Group to replace three existing timber jetties with three new 30-metre steel and Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) structures at Rottnest Island. Scope included demolition, disposal, fabrication of steel frames and fender systems, and installation of piles, frames and fenders performed entirely in-house.
• SubconcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJMC Marine Group was engaged by Subcon on behalf of the City of Cockburn to deploy 135 three-tonne wave attenuating fringing modules at CY O'Connor Beach. Subcon's specially designed world-first Bombara modules were made with environmentally-friendly concrete and installed by JMC.
• RecfishwestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJMC Marine Group was privileged to be involved in the deployment of the Carnarvon Artificial Reef for Recfishwest, WA's largest artificial reef to date. JMC leveraged dedicated marine assets and specialised marine crew to deploy 300 concrete modules in 9 meters of water.
• DiveCo MarineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJMC Marine Group worked on the SMAP project connecting Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth through robust transcontinental subsea cable. Team pulled 500 metres of dyneema attached to cable and drum onshore for divers to connect larger sections.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rottnest Express: Rottnest Island passenger ferry operator. Directly comparable to Pelagic via shared Rottnest Island service territory — same captive island market and overlap with Pelagic's Rottnest Barge Service on freight and logistics to Rottnest.
• MMA Offshore: Australia-listed marine services company providing vessel operation, subsea, and marine logistics to offshore and government clients. Comparable to JMC Marine Group's turn-key marine construction and vessel-deployment model and to Rottnest Barge's marine transport operations in Western Australia.
• Rivergate Marina & Shipyard: Brisbane-based combined marina and shipyard/repair facility offering berthing, hardstand, and vessel maintenance. Comparable to Pelagic's combination of marina operations (Boathouse, Pier 21) and JMC Marine Group's vessel maintenance and steel fabrication scope.
• SeaRoad Holdings: Bass Strait-focused marine logistics operator running dedicated ro-ro vessels and port logistics. Comparable to Pelagic's Rottnest Barge Service as a regional dedicated-vessel freight/logistics operator with similar route economics and key-account client base.

Broad incumbents

• BMT Group: Global maritime engineering, design, and consulting firm providing marine infrastructure, vessel design, and offshore consultancy. Comparable to JMC Marine Group's maritime construction and consultancy services, particularly on infrastructure remediation and vessel-related design work.
• Austal Limited: ASX-listed global shipbuilder of high-speed aluminium vessels, vehicle-passenger ferries, and naval ships, founded by Pelagic co-owner Chris Norman. Comparable to Pelagic via shared founder heritage, naval-architect DNA, and exposure to marine construction and ferry markets in WA.
• DOF Subsea: Global subsea services and marine contractor providing vessel-based installation, cable lay, and offshore construction. Comparable to Pelagic's JMC Marine Group for subsea cable deployment (SMAP) and offshore installation scopes using tugs, barges and workboats.

Regional players

• Cape Preston Marine: Western Australia-based marine logistics and port-services operator serving Pilbara resources clients. Comparable to Pelagic as a WA-based marine services business, though operating further north and more resources-focused.

Emerging players

• Sanctuary Cove Marina: Queensland-based premium marina operator offering berthing, dry storage, and marine lifestyle amenities. Comparable to The Boathouse Marina and Pier 21 Marina as a competing premium boating-storage and berthing business in the Australian market.
• SafeCo: An emerging Australian marine services operator with growing Western Australia exposure in marine logistics. Comparable to the early-stage scale profile of Pelagic Group's regional marine services portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pelagic-marine-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Pelagic Marine Services