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Shipping Companies in the UK: 2,800+ Active Firms (2026)
Shipping companies in the UK move freight and passengers by sea, linking ports, vessel operators and maritime services under MCA oversight.
Buying centres split between transport operations, port and harbour authorities, fleet owners and maritime services groups rather than a single budget holder. Freight and offshore customers tend to buy capacity, agency cover, vessel support and compliance-led management, while passenger and harbour-side contracts are shaped by safety certification, schedules and local port relationships. Small-business purchasing is less central than mid-market and enterprise procurement, because the relevant suppliers usually need operational scale, trained crews and port access. Engagements are contracted and embedded: chartering, crewing, technical management, port calls and specialist support sit closer to outsourced infrastructure than spot procurement. The better-fit businesses are operators or service providers, not purely recreational marine activity.
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Across the UK, 2,841 actively trading companies sit in this shipping and maritime cohort. The commercial centre of gravity is not only vessel operation: harbour services, marine agency work, crewing, technical management and offshore support all sit in the same market. Reported headcount totals 5,446 people. Within that group, 209 sit above £5M turnover and 562 were incorporated since 2022, giving the list a mixed age profile: established port-linked operators sit alongside newer service providers built around compliance, crewing or vessel-support work.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) oversight gives the market a more formal operating boundary than general logistics. The agency produces maritime legislation and guidance, issues seafarer certification and runs the UK Ship Register. Port State Control also matters for foreign-flagged vessels using UK ports and anchorages, since inspection can test compliance with UK and international safety rules. Certification requirements for officers create another barrier to casual entry: operators need suitably endorsed personnel as well as port access, commercial customers and vessel capacity. Compliance capability therefore tends to sit inside the operating model, particularly for vessel management, crewing and port-linked support providers.
Commercial pressure appears likely to keep the cohort split between asset-heavy operators and asset-light maritime services. The former tend to depend on vessel access, port relationships and safety management; the latter can move around agency, crewing, technical and compliance work with lower fixed capital needs. Newer entrants may find room in specialist support where certification knowledge or harbour access matters, but passenger and freight operations remain harder to scale without assets and permissions. Consolidation has been more plausible around service lines that can be standardised across ports, while small operators may remain exposed to fuel, labour and inspection costs.
2,841
Active firms
2026
209
Above £5M turnover
562
Incorporated since 2022
Key facts
About 7% of the trading cohort reports turnover above £5M (209 of 2,841 firms) — the rest sits below that revenue band.
19% of the cohort was incorporated since 2022 (562 firms), so a sizeable share is in its first few filing cycles.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency oversees the UK Ship Register, seafarer certification and Port State Control checks under the Merchant Shipping (Port State Control) Regulations 2011.
UK ports handled 434.9 million tonnes of freight in 2023, down 5% from 2022 and down 10% compared with 2019.
Maritime UK reports that UK maritime generated £116 billion in turnover, £48.9 billion in GVA and supported 1,064,000 jobs in 2019.
UN Trade and Development puts global maritime trade at 12.3 billion tons in 2023, with 2% growth projected in 2024 and an average of 2.4% annually through 2029.
Top UK shipping companies
PORTLAND HARBOUR AUTHORITY LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsOperates a commercial seaport providing berthing and marine services for cargo vessels, cruise ships, and offshore operations. Offers pilotage, towage, bunkering, ship‑to‑ship transfers, quayside and…
Serves shipping operators, cruise lines, cargo and offshore renewables businesses, marine service users, commercial tenants, film/TV productions, and leisure watersport users needing harbour access…
Financial Health
StableStable · Hiring · 16% CAGR over 2y
Location
PORTLAND PORT LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsOperates a commercial seaport providing berthing and marine services for cargo vessels, cruise ships and offshore projects. Offers pilotage, towage, bunkering, ship‑to‑ship transfers, quayside…
Serves shipping and marine businesses, cruise lines, cargo operators, offshore and renewables firms, film and TV productions, port tenants, vessel operators, and leisure watersports users needing…
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Profitable, Growing, Hiring · 120% CAGR over 2y
Location
Trajectory
1y · 2025–NowOperates and commercially manages tanker vessels and provides ship agency services to vessel‑owning entities. Also manages a fleet of tankers, bulk carriers and container ships, overseeing technical…
Serves B2B maritime customers, including tanker vessel-owning entities, shipowners and related organisations involved in tanker, bulk carrier and container shipping markets.
Financial Health
Insufficient historyInsufficient history
Location
Trajectory
4y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 4 filingsOperates roll-on/roll-off and container shipping services across North Sea, Baltic and European ports. Provides multimodal freight transport, logistics forwarding, warehousing, distribution, port…
Serves business customers needing freight and logistics, especially automotive, engineering and industrial companies moving cargo between the UK, continental Europe, the Baltics, Scandinavia and…
Financial Health
StableStable · -81% CAGR over 3y
Location
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides maritime shipping services for bulk, breakbulk and specialised cargoes using a fleet of bulk carriers. Offers commercial and technical vessel management, operational supervision, and…
Serves B2B customers in dry bulk shipping, including cargo owners, commodity traders, industrial producers and shipping investors needing global transport for bulk, breakbulk and specialised cargoes.
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Growing, Hiring · 24% CAGR over 4y
Location
John H Whitaker (Tankers) Limited
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsOperates a fleet of seagoing tankers transporting fuel and petroleum products for major oil companies. Provides marine fuel transport and bunkering services in UK and European waters, managing tanker…
Serves major oil companies and marine bunkering customers requiring fuel logistics support in UK and European waters.
Financial Health
StableStable · Hiring · 91% CAGR over 2y
Location
VICTORIA WHARVES LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides port operations and logistics services including stevedoring, cargo handling, storage and warehousing, stock control, road transport and rail freight. Also offers ship agency and brokering,…
Serves B2B cargo owners, importers, exporters, shipping lines and logistics firms handling timber, bulk, conventional, containerised and unitised cargo across UK port corridors.
Financial Health
StableStable · Profitable · 4% CAGR over 2y
Location
GAC LOGISTICS (UK) LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides shipping and logistics services including ship agency, bunker fuel supply, husbandry and launch services, freight forwarding, land transportation, project logistics, ship spares logistics…
Serves B2B customers needing shipping, logistics and marine support, including organisations in aerospace, automotive, cruise, dry cargo, energy, entertainment/events, marine leisure, offshore,…
Financial Health
WeakWeak · -5% CAGR over 2y
Location
WILLIAMS SHIPPING MARINE LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsOperates a fleet of vessels and barges providing marine and port services, vessel charter, and marine equipment hire. Also delivers logistics including cargo handling, haulage, project transport,…
Serves B2B and public sector customers in the marine, ports, shipping and coastal infrastructure sectors, plus firms needing logistics, haulage, storage, container hire and emergency response,…
Financial Health
WeakWeak · -66% CAGR over 4y
Location
Briggs Commercial Limited
Trajectory
2y · 2024–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsProvides marine and environmental services including vessel charter, port and vessel management, subsea cable and offshore wind support, commercial diving, moorings and aids to navigation, marine…
Serves B2B and public-sector clients in offshore wind, renewables, ports and harbours, energy and utilities, engineering and construction, and defence, including marine operators and infrastructure…
Financial Health
StableStable · Profitable · -2% CAGR over 1y
Location
Rix Shipping Company Limited
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides shipping and vessel management services, including ships agency, fuel bunkering, and crew transfer support for marine operations. Also handles cargo loading, storage, and port logistics…
Serves B2B maritime customers, including ship and vessel operators, cargo owners, logistics businesses, and offshore renewables firms needing port, bunkering, agency, crew and vessel support in the…
Financial Health
DistressedDistressed · -15% CAGR over 2y
Location
SAFESEA SHIPPING U.K LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2022–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides maritime transport and shipping services including ship owning and vessel operations, ship agency, technical and commercial vessel management, and multimodal logistics for general and…
Serves B2B customers in international trade and maritime operations, including cargo owners, shippers, freight/logistics stakeholders and vessel operators requiring global shipping and cargo support.
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Hiring · 22% CAGR over 2y
Location
S5 AGENCY WORLD LTD
Trajectory
5y · 2019–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides international shipping and port agency services, coordinating vessel port calls, client and vendor management, customs manifesting, cargo and ship management support, offshore ship supply,…
Serves B2B maritime clients, including ship owners, operators, managers, charterers, cargo interests and offshore sector organisations involved in international port calls and global trade operations.
Financial Health
StableStable · -10% CAGR over 5y
Location
MLS (Overseas) Limited
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides port and maritime logistics and operational support for naval and commercial vessels, including port agency and husbanding services, cargo loading and discharge, supply management, aviation…
Serves naval and commercial maritime operators, including shipping fleets, passenger cruise lines and cargo carriers, plus organisations needing land, aviation and event logistics support in ports…
Financial Health
StableStable · 0% CAGR over 2y
Location
Makoil Group Ltd
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides maritime services for oil and chemical product tankers, including vessel chartering, ship and technical management, cargo handling, fleet inspections, maintenance planning, crew training,…
Serves B2B maritime, oil and chemical sector clients, including tanker owners, operators and cargo interests using 5,600-8,300 DWT product tankers across major European ports.
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Growing, Hiring · 34% CAGR over 4y
Location
Sea Pioneer Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides international sea transportation of cargo, operating and managing a fleet of tanker and bulk carrier vessels. Arranges maritime shipping services for clients, moving commodities and other…
Serves B2B cargo owners, commodity traders and industrial shippers needing international sea transport, including tanker and bulk carrier capacity, for cargo movements between ports worldwide.
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Growing · 0% CAGR over 4y
Location
Global Ports Group Finance Ltd
Trajectory
2y · 2024–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsOperates and manages marine container and multipurpose port terminals, providing container handling, cargo stevedoring, storage, and related port logistics services through a network of terminals…
Financial Health
WeakWeak · 0% CAGR over 1y
Location
Eurobulk Ltd
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides ship management services for ocean‑going vessels, particularly dry bulk and container ships. Activities include technical management, crewing, chartering and sale and purchase support,…
Serves B2B maritime clients, primarily listed shipowners and smaller private investors owning dry bulk and container vessels, with links to banks, charterers, shipyards and insurers in global…
Financial Health
DistressedDistressed · -14% CAGR over 2y
Location
ELLERMAN CITY LINERS LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsOperates container shipping and multimodal freight services, providing express deep-sea and short-sea ocean transport alongside door-to-door logistics. Services include FCL and LCL container…
Serves B2B importers, exporters and freight customers needing container transport and supply chain services between the UK, US and Europe, including Iberia, Poland and the Netherlands.
Financial Health
StableStable · Hiring · 34% CAGR over 2y
Location
SIEM SHIPPING UK LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides shipping and maritime support services for affiliated shipping businesses, including coordination of car carrier transport of automobiles and roll‑on/roll‑off cargo, management of offshore…
Serves B2B customers in automotive, industrial shipping, refrigerated cargo, RoRo and breakbulk cargo, offshore energy and oil-service sectors, plus counterparties needing vessel leasing and…
Financial Health
WeakWeak · -3% CAGR over 2y
Location
Boluda Towage London Ltd
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides maritime towage services using tugboats, including harbour and port towage for ship manoeuvring, offshore and ocean towing, salvage operations, and vessel tender and transfer services for…
Serves shipping lines, vessel owners and operators, port authorities, and offshore energy or marine companies operating through major ports in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Profitable, Growing, Hiring · 21% CAGR over 2y
Location
PORTICO SHIPPING LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsOperates a deep‑water cargo terminal providing stevedoring and port handling services. Manages loading, unloading, storage and warehousing of break bulk, container, dry bulk and project cargo, with…
Serves shipping lines, freight forwarders, importers and exporters moving fresh produce, containers, dry bulk, break bulk and project cargo, particularly trade to and from the south of the UK.
Financial Health
WeakWeak · -91% CAGR over 2y
Location
GPH (London) Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsOperates and manages cruise ports and passenger terminals worldwide, providing port operations, terminal services, and cruise port development. Also offers ancillary port services, integrated…
Serves cruise lines, cruise passengers and port or destination authorities across an international network of cruise ports, targeting ship operators, tourism stakeholders and travellers using port…
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · -10% CAGR over 4y
Location
SCOTLINE TERMINAL (MEDWAY) LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsOperates a port cargo terminal providing stevedoring, vessel agency, customs clearance, and forwarding and haulage services. Manages timber and pulp stockholding and offers open and covered storage,…
Serves B2B customers in shipping, timber, pulp and general cargo markets, including cargo owners, importers/exporters, charterers and logistics teams using port and onward distribution networks.
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · -90% CAGR over 2y
Location
Cockfield, Knight & Company Limited
Trajectory
2y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsProvides shipping agency and shipbroking services, including port agency, short sea vessel chartering, customs clearance, freight forwarding, and logistics for bulk, breakbulk, project and heavy‑lift…
Serves B2B maritime and industrial customers, including shipowners, cargo owners, charterers, offshore energy firms and multinationals moving bulk, breakbulk, project, dangerous or heavy-lift cargo…
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · -33% CAGR over 1y
Location
NW TRADING (HUMBER) LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides port logistics and shipping services including ships agency and chartering, cargo handling, warehousing and storage, road transport, customs clearance, and freight forwarding, supporting the…
Serves B2B customers in shipping, import/export and bulk cargo sectors, including ship owners, operators, charterers, freight forwarders, manufacturers and commodity traders using UK port facilities.
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · -65% CAGR over 4y
Location
John Mcloughlin & Son (Shipping) Limited
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides marine support services to the shipping industry, including vessel mooring, pilot boat operations, crew transfers at sea, surveying, and safety boat services. Supports dredging operations…
Serves B2B maritime customers in the shipping industry, including vessel operators, port and harbour users, and major dredging companies.
Financial Health
StableStable · -35% CAGR over 2y
Location
Holyhead Towing Company Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides shallow-draft tugs, multicats, crew boats and transport vessels for charter. Supports offshore oil and gas, renewable energy, marine civil engineering and dredging projects with towage,…
Serves B2B marine project contractors and operators in offshore oil and gas, renewable energy, dredging and marine civil engineering, including organisations running projects worldwide.
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Growing, Hiring · 6% CAGR over 4y
Location
Thos.E.Kettlewell & Son Limited
Trajectory
4y · 2022–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 4 filingsProvides shipbroking, vessel chartering and port agency services for bulk, steel, project, liquid bulk and offshore vessels. Operates cargo handling and stevedoring through a terminal and undertakes…
Serves B2B maritime customers, including shipowners, charterers and cargo owners involved in bulk, steel, project, liquid bulk and offshore vessel traffic, with UK-focused agency and terminal needs.
Financial Health
WeakWeak · 0% CAGR over 3y
Location
Rix Shipping (Scotland) Limited
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides shipping and vessel management services including ships agency, fuel bunkering, crew transfers, and support for marine operations. Also offers cargo handling, storage, and logistics services…
Serves B2B maritime customers, including ship and vessel operators, cargo owners, logistics firms and offshore renewables businesses using ports such as Montrose and the Humber.
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · -5% CAGR over 2y
Location
Cargo Mariners Ltd
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsOperates and charters a fleet of small cargo vessels for shortsea and coastal shipping. Provides commercial management for ship owners and arranges transport of aggregates, grains, steel, project…
Serves B2B maritime customers, including cargo principals shipping aggregates, grains, steel, project and IMO cargoes, plus ship owners seeking commercial management in shortsea and coastal markets.
Financial Health
StrongStrong · 44% CAGR over 3y
Location
Carlin Boat Charter Limited
Trajectory
3y · 2022–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsOperates a fleet of offshore support vessels for short‑ and long‑term charter. Provides wind farm support, hydrographic survey operations, passenger and cargo transfers, dive support, guard vessel…
Serves B2B marine and offshore energy clients, including wind farm operators, survey contractors, commercial diving teams, salvage/security providers, and project teams in UK and Western European…
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Growing, Hiring · 82% CAGR over 2y
Location
MARITIME CRAFT SERVICES (CLYDE) LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsOwns and operates tugs and workboats providing support vessels for dredging and marine construction projects. Services include crew transfer, coastal towing, seabed levelling, installation of…
Sells to businesses in the marine construction and maintenance sectors, especially dredging contractors and offshore project operators needing support vessels, chartered workboats, towing, maritime…
Financial Health
StableStable · -1% CAGR over 4y
Location
Coastworks Operations Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2018–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides charter of workboats, tugboats, barges, pontoons and safety boats for marine projects. Supports dredging, marine construction, harbour maintenance and offshore renewable energy work, and…
Serves B2B marine project customers, including dredging contractors, marine construction firms, harbour maintenance operators, renewable energy developers and large construction companies across the…
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · -1% CAGR over 6y
Location
Ensco 1330 Limited
Trajectory
2y · 2024–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsProvides finished vehicle logistics and automotive supply chain services, including vehicle transportation, technical vehicle processing, port and terminal management, shipping agency services, and…
Sells to businesses in automotive, shipping and renewables, particularly motor manufacturers, shipping lines and port-related operators needing finished vehicle logistics, port management and supply…
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Hiring · 21% CAGR over 1y
Location
W.E.C. LINES UK LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides container shipping and logistics services including short‑sea and deep‑sea freight, port‑to‑port and door‑to‑door cargo transport, route scheduling, and inland connections using rail and…
Serves B2B cargo owners, importers, exporters and freight forwarders needing sea and inland logistics across Europe, North Africa, the Red Sea, East Africa and Pakistan.
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Hiring · 9% CAGR over 4y
Location
CLdN RoRo Agencies Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides roll-on/roll-off short sea shipping and logistics services linking the UK with mainland Europe. Acts as trailer and ferry agent, arranging freight transport, multimodal road–sea movements,…
Serves B2B shippers, freight forwarders, automotive manufacturers and project cargo customers moving goods between the European continent, UK, Ireland, Iberia and Scandinavia.
Financial Health
StableStable · Hiring · 11% CAGR over 4y
Location
Trajectory
5y · 2022–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsOperates as ship owners, shipbrokers and shipping agents. Arranges vessel chartering and handles the sale and purchase of ships, providing brokerage and agency services for commercial maritime…
Serves B2B maritime customers, including shipowners, charterers and companies involved in vessel sale and purchase.
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · -65% CAGR over 4y
Location
SCOTLINE LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides ship chartering and coastal shipping services for bulk cargo, particularly steel and timber, between Scandinavia and the Baltic and the UK and Ireland. Also offers vessel operations, liner…
Serves B2B cargo owners, importers and exporters in the timber and steel sectors moving freight between Scandinavia/Baltic ports and the UK or Republic of Ireland, plus organisations needing shipping…
Financial Health
WeakWeak · -86% CAGR over 2y
Location
SONGA CREWMANAGEMENT LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides crew management services for commercial vessels, including recruitment, placement and administration of seafarers, and coordination of trained ship crews to support the operation of ships…
Serves B2B customers in the shipping sector, primarily shipowners, vessel operators and affiliated ship management companies needing seafarer crewing support for managed commercial vessels.
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · 12% CAGR over 1y
Location
Osprey Maritime Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides marine contracting and specialist logistics for infrastructure projects, including heavy lifting, marine transport, freight forwarding, and transport engineering. Operates barges, cranes and…
Serves B2B clients delivering major infrastructure projects, including civil engineering partners, HS2 contractors, nuclear supply chains, offshore/onshore renewables developers, petrochemical…
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Hiring · 22% CAGR over 5y
Location
S. MIFSUD & SONS (UK) LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides shore operations and port agency services for cruise liners, including ground handling, passenger turnaround operations, and coordination of port services. Also supports cruise ship…
Serves cruise lines, cruise ship operators and their principals needing port-based passenger operations support for cruise calls and turnarounds in the UK and other international ports.
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · Hiring · 12% CAGR over 2y
Location
South Coast Port Services Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides contract stevedoring and port labour services, including vessel mooring, cargo securing and shipwright support. Supplies trained personnel and operational support for marine operations and…
Sells to businesses in UK ports, especially port operators and other port customers needing contract stevedoring, mooring, cargo securing, container terminal support, and specialist port staff on…
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · Profitable, Hiring · 6% CAGR over 4y
Location
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides maritime shipping and project logistics services, including heavy‑lift and multipurpose vessel operations, cargo transport, maritime engineering, ship management and crewing. Supports…
Serves global B2B customers in maritime, offshore wind, commodity trading and industrial project sectors, including cargo owners, project developers and shipping operators with complex sea transport…
Financial Health
WeakWeak · -62% CAGR over 5y
Location
DKT ALLSEAS SHIPPING LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsActs as a shipping liner agent representing international carriers, arranging ocean freight for full container load (FCL), out‑of‑gauge, breakbulk and project cargo. Provides import and export…
Serves B2B freight forwarders, cargo owners and import/export businesses needing FCL/LCL, out-of-gauge, project and breakbulk shipping through major global carriers.
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Growing, Hiring · 11% CAGR over 4y
Location
Jifmar Scotland Limited
Trajectory
2y · 2024–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsProvides marine and workboat services supporting coastal and offshore operations, including vessel-based support for subsea infrastructure inspection, maintenance and marine construction projects…
Serves UK organisations with shore-to-offshore marine and subsea project needs, including offshore operators, coastal infrastructure teams and other commercial marine clients.
Financial Health
WeakWeak · 0% CAGR over 1y
Location
Independent Maritime Logistics Ltd
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides international freight logistics and maritime services, including cargo transport management, project cargo handling, and freight forwarding. Acts as liner and port agent for shipping lines…
Serves B2B importers, exporters and cargo owners in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, automotive, industrial machinery, raw materials and consumables, plus shipping lines needing UK liner or port…
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Hiring · 22% CAGR over 4y
Location
CARMET TUG COMPANY LTD
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides harbour and coastal towage and workboat services for the marine industry. Operates tugboats supporting vessel movements, stores deliveries, buoy maintenance, dredging and diving operations,…
Serves B2B clients in the UK marine sector, including port, harbour, canal, offshore and marine civil engineering operators, plus large marine organisations on the River Mersey and Manchester Ship…
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · -70% CAGR over 4y
Location
G.P.S Marine Holdings Limited
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsOperates barges for intra-port transport of bulk and construction materials. Provides marine towage, dredging, and marine civil engineering services, supporting infrastructure works and material…
Serves commercial and public-sector clients in ports, construction, dredging and marine infrastructure, with an emphasis on River Thames intra-port cargo and marine works customers.
Financial Health
WeakWeak · -2% CAGR over 2y
Location
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How UK shipping companies work and how to sell to them
What they do
Revenue usually comes from contracted operations rather than ad hoc product sales. Commercial shipping firms sell access to vessels, crews, port relationships and maritime know-how through chartering, agency fees, technical management, crewing, harbour support and specialist vessel services. Pricing tends to mix day rates, voyage or port-call fees, management retainers and pass-through costs for fuel, stores, pilotage or certification work. The service is therefore part logistics capacity, part regulated operations outsourcing. Asset-heavy operators need vessel availability and maintenance cover; asset-light service providers earn from coordination, compliance administration and local port execution.
Who they sell to
Buyers are usually transport operations teams, fleet owners, port and harbour authorities, offshore contractors and maritime services groups. Decision makers tend to include operations directors, marine superintendents, port managers, heads of procurement, safety managers and finance leads, with technical users often shaping the shortlist. Smaller spot jobs can be placed directly, but higher-value work is normally qualified through approved-supplier lists, tenders, framework-style procurement or long-standing port relationships. Sales cycles can be slow because customers need evidence of certification, crew competence, insurance, safety procedures and operational resilience before they trust a supplier with vessel movements or port-side activity.
What they buy
Most shipping firms tend to spend on systems and services that keep vessels moving, crews qualified and port activity auditable. Relevant categories include fleet maintenance software, crew scheduling, certification tracking, voyage and port-call planning, incident reporting, quality and safety management, finance, billing, procurement, fuel monitoring, document management and customer communications. Security, endpoint management and cloud hosting matter for office and vessel-side operations, while analytics can help with utilisation, delay patterns and supplier costs. They also buy recruitment, training, maritime legal advice, insurance support, accounting, marketing for passenger or agency work, and specialist engineering where in-house capability is thin.
Why and how to sell to them
Buying intent often appears when operators add vessels, win a port or offshore support contract, expand agency coverage, replace manual compliance processes, or prepare for certification work and Port State Control exposure. Leadership change and headcount growth can also unsettle older ways of working, especially where certification, rostering and incident evidence sit across spreadsheets and email. Outbound messages tend to work better when they speak to operational risk and cost leakage rather than general efficiency: fewer missed documents, faster crew mobilisation, cleaner handovers, better visibility of vessel availability, or clearer proof that a service line can pass customer and regulator scrutiny.
How this list is built
Data sources
This list is built from UK Companies House filings, XBRL accounts data, and semantic analysis of each company's public website. Revenue and headcount figures come from the most recent filed accounts; where the company has not filed, values are estimated using a model trained on filed history and peer benchmarks and are labelled as estimates.
Classification
Rather than relying solely on SIC codes, Firmbase classifies each company semantically: the company's website is crawled, an AI model reads what the company actually sells, and the company is placed into the relevant industry and subsectors. SIC codes are used as one signal but not the only one. This means a company that registered under a generic SIC code but pivoted into (for example) fintech is correctly identified as fintech, not as its original SIC category.
Freshness
The underlying company data is refreshed from Companies House continuously; filings appear in the list within days of submission. The curated list ordering is regenerated when the underlying data moves meaningfully (company count changes by more than 5%, a new company enters the top-ranked segment, or the filed-revenue numbers for the top firms change). You can see the last-updated timestamp near the top of the page.
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Frequently asked questions
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How big are the typical shipping companies in the UK?↓
Are these mostly new or established shipping companies?↓
What SIC codes does this use?↓
What buying signals should I look for?↓
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