C-Port / C-Logistics

What C-Port / C-Logistics does

C-PORT (Conference of Professional Operators for Response Towing) is a U.S. national nonprofit trade association founded in 1985 and headquartered at 4251 NE 27th Avenue, Lighthouse Point, Florida. It functions as the only federally recognized industry association for the marine assistance towing and salvage sector, representing member companies in regulatory engagement with the U.S. Coast Guard, NASBLA, the American Salvage Association, and state/local maritime agencies. Its primary members are small and mid-sized marine assistance operators (most affiliated with the TowBoatU.S./BoatUS franchise network), individual captains, and a roster of allied vendors serving the industry.

The organization's core products are membership subscriptions (Marine Assistance Company $750/yr, Captain $75/yr, Associate $1,000/yr, Foreign Affiliate $500/yr), the ACAPT accreditation program (the industry quality benchmark co-developed with the U.S. Coast Guard), a nine-module online risk management course library built with the USCG Office of Boat Forces, a NASBLA-certified in-person BOSAR/CA training course, an annual conference (the 40th edition scheduled February 2027 in Nashville, TN), and a group insurance program delivered through Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage. The underlying technology is essentially a proprietary training and certification content stack housed on cport.us with an e-commerce store and a member portal.

C-PORT monetizes through a hybrid model: recurring membership dues, one-time course and certification fees (with a meaningful member/non-member price differential that incentivizes dues-paying membership), transaction-based conference and sponsorship revenue, and commission income from the partner insurance program. Go-to-market is community-led via industry events, the quarterly Marine Assistance Industry Journal, partnerships with federal agencies, and direct outreach by Executive Director Tina Cardone from the Lighthouse Point headquarters. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the staff is reported at 1-10 employees, consistent with a small association operating on dues and event economics rather than scaled commercial SaaS or services revenue.

Name

C-Port / C-Logistics

Legal name

C-PORT (Conference of Professional Operators for Response Towing)

Website

https://cport.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

C-PORT is a U.S. national nonprofit trade association founded in 1985 that represents, certifies, and trains marine assistance towing and salvage companies through advocacy, the ACAPT accreditation program, USCG-co-developed risk management training, and an annual conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Industry Association Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Terminal & Shipyard Towage (Intra-Port/Facility Moves) (TLAHAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Port Operations Control Center / Port Call Orchestration (TLAHAFAI), Harbor Master & Marine Traffic Control (VTS) (TLAHAFAA)

Keywords

• Marine assistance services
• Trade association membership
• Risk management training
• Professional towing certification
• Marine industry advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Pompano Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees at multiple tiers: Marine Assistance Company Membership ($750), Captain Membership ($75), Associate Membership ($1,000), and Foreign Affiliate ($500). Provides access to member benefits, programs, and pricing.
2. Training Courses and Certifications: Online and in-person training courses for risk management, safety, and professional development. Member pricing ranges from $89-$129 per course; non-member pricing ranges from $189-$259. Additional certificates available at $9.50-$18.75. ACAPT certification at $65 (member) or $95 (non-member).
3. Annual Conference Revenue: Annual conference registration fees ($199-$599), exhibitor packages ($3,000-$5,000), sponsorship packages ($2,000-$5,000), and merchandise sales. The 40th Anniversary Conference is scheduled for February 2027 in Nashville, TN.
4. Insurance Program: Partnership with Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage providing group insurance programs for members. Commission-based revenue from member enrollment in customized insurance solutions.
5. Advocacy Donations (Protect Salvors Rights): Voluntary donations at tiered levels ($0-$1,000) supporting C-PORT's advocacy efforts to protect salvors' rights and shield members from harmful regulations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

C-PORT (Conference of Professional Operators for Response Towing) is a national trade association representing marine assistance and towing companies. It delivers tiered memberships (Company, Captain, Associate, Foreign Affiliate), the ACAPT industry certification, a proprietary library of online risk management training courses, an in-person NASBLA-certified BOSAR course, an annual conference and membership meeting, and a group insurance program delivered through Starkweather & Shepley.

Product overview

C-PORT (Conference of Professional Operators for Response Towing) is a membership association for the marine assistance industry, not a unified software product. The organization provides a portfolio of membership tiers (Company, Associate, Captain, Foreign Affiliate), an industry certification program (ACAPT), and a library of online risk management training courses including Risk Management Systems, Human Factors, Electric Shock Drowning, Go or No Go, Fuel and Fire, Accidents Happen, Normalization of Deviance, The Illusion of Certainty, and Solo Operation courses. Additional offerings include an in-person Commercial Assistance BOSAR course, annual conferences with exhibitor and sponsorship packages, a group insurance program through Starkweather & Shepley, and advocacy fundraising items. The portfolio serves marine assistance towing and salvage businesses through advocacy, education, certification, and networking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACAPT: Accredited for Commercial Assistance and Professional Towing - a certification program establishing industry qualifications to elevate service quality and reliability across the Marine Assistance Industry.

Products and services

• C-PORT Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Members report C-PORT's advocacy shielded their businesses from costly new regulations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Starkweather & Shepley Insurance BrokeragecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerC-PORT has partnered with Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage to provide comprehensive insurance solutions for members and their marine assistance towing and salvage businesses. The partnership ensures competitive rates and personalized service from industry experts. Contact: Sara Mariani (o: 401-709-7568, m: 401-524-7692, [email protected]). The program has been developed with waterfront experience and market knowledge to provide specialized coverage for the industry.
• U.S. Coast GuardflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerC-PORT maintains a formal Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Coast Guard detailing the partnership relationship between the organizations. The Coast Guard supported the launch of ACAPT certification prior to towing vessel inspections. C-PORT developed risk management courses from the USCG Office of Boat Forces for use in the marine assistance industry.
• NASBLA (National Association of Boating Law Administrators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agreement signed with NASBLA to further industry relationships. NASBLA has certified the BOSAR/CA course as part of their national standard of training. Terry Hill is a NASBLA Certified Instructor and represents C-PORT on the NASBLA BOAT Program Advisory Council.
• ASA (American Salvage Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agreement signed with ASA to further industry relationships and promote professionalism in salvage operations.
• GEICO / BoatU.S.minorOthersGEICO/BoatU.S. is an Associate Member of C-PORT. Located at 5323 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22151.
• Compass Marine ServiceminorOthersCompass Marine Service is an Associate Member of C-PORT. Located at 4404 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34234.
• ComMar SalesminorOthersComMar Sales is an Associate Member specializing in vessels and equipment. Contact: 401-624-4880, [email protected].
• North River BoatsminorOthersNorth River Boats is an Associate Member specializing in vessels and equipment. Contact: 800-413-6351, [email protected].
• SAFE BoatsminorOthersSAFE Boats is an Associate Member specializing in vessels and equipment. Contact: 360-674-7161, [email protected].
• SubSalve USAminorOthersSubSalve USA is an Associate Member specializing in vessels and equipment. Contact: 401-884-8801, [email protected].

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Chesapeake Marine Towing and Assistance Association (CMTAA): Regional trade association of marine towing and assistance operators in the Chesapeake Bay region. Led by C-PORT Vice Chairman Terry Hill; comparable regional-level marine assistance trade body.
• Passenger Vessel Association (PVA): Trade association for U.S. passenger vessel operators. Comparable association structure and advocacy model; different vessel niche but shared maritime regulatory and USCG engagement.

Broad incumbents

• BoatUS (Boat Owners Association of The United States): Largest U.S. recreational boating membership organization, sister brand to GEICO and owner of the TowBoatU.S. network. Comparable as a member-based marine assistance organization with insurance and towing services; broader consumer scope than C-PORT's operator focus.
• National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA): Largest U.S. recreational marine industry association representing boat manufacturers and marine products companies. Comparable in scale and trade-body advocacy model, though positioned on the supply side rather than the service operator side.
• American Waterways Operators (AWO): National trade association for the U.S. tugboat, towboat, and barge industry. Comparable trade-body model serving towage operators, though focused on commercial inland/ocean towing versus C-PORT's recreational marine assistance niche.

Others

• Vessel Assist Association of America (VAAA): Predecessor association to today's TowBoatU.S. franchise network, founded in 1984 by C-PORT board member David LaMontagne. Comparable historical trade-body function in the marine assistance towing space.
• American Maritime Officers (AMO): U.S. maritime union for licensed officers. Adjacent in maritime professional services and USCG credentialing ecosystem, though organized as a labor union rather than an employer association.

Direct peers

• NASBLA (National Association of State Boating Law Administrators): National association of state officials administering recreational boating law. Peer in marine assistance policy and training standards space; certified C-PORT's BOSAR/CA course as part of its national training standards.
• American Salvage Association (ASA): National trade association representing the marine salvage industry. Directly comparable as a peer marine assistance/salvage trade body; already a formal partner of C-PORT, and overlapping membership rosters.

Emerging players

• International Salvage Union (ISU): International trade body representing marine salvors worldwide. Comparable salvage-focused association model and partially overlapping membership; more internationally focused than C-PORT's U.S.-centric scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/c-port

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 C-Port / C-Logistics