Back- The acquisition comprises a fleet of 15 vessels, along with their crews and operations in the Middle East.
- Jifmar completes a EUR 200m debt raise to refinance existing debt, finance the acquisition and future growth.
- With over 85 vessels following the acquisition, Jifmar is the undisputed global leader in the workboat sector.
Luxembourg / Aix-en-Provence, 24 November 2025 – Jifmar, backed by the pan-European infrastructure fund Marguerite, completed the acquisition of the workboat fleet of Seacontractors, a Dutch marine services operator with a long-established presence in the Middle East. The transaction comprises a fleet of fifteen shallow-draft workboats together with their crews and regional operations, significantly reinforcing Jifmar’s footprint in this strategic and fast-growing market.
This acquisition follows Jifmar’s successful integration of Acta Marine’s workboat activities in 2023, further consolidating Jifmar’s position as the world leader in workboat operators with a fleet of over 85 vessels.
To support this new phase of growth, Jifmar secured a EUR 200 million financing package to refinance existing debt, finance the acquisition and provide funds for future growth initiatives. The debt package includes a senior debt facility from a pool of French banks, including BPCE Group (among which Caisse d’Epargne Provence Alpes Corse, Caisse d’Epargne Bretagne – Pays de Loire, Caisse d’Epargne Côte d’Azur and Caisse d’Epargne Languedoc Roussillon), Société Générale, BNP Paribas, Bpifrance, Crédit Lyonnais and Crédit Agricole Alpes Provence. The senior tranche is complemented by a junior facility provided by Kartesia Asset Finance (a strategy managed by Flexam Invest).
Jean-Michel Berud, CEO of Jifmar, stated:
“This acquisition marks yet another step in our ambition to build a best-in-class global platform in the workboat segment. The integration of Seacontractors’ fleet not only provides additional scale but also expands our operational footprint in a region with long-term structural demand for marine services. We are pleased to have secured renewed and increased support from most of our historical lenders, and to welcome new financial institutions to the financing pool who—together with Marguerite—share our long-term vision.”
Michael Dedieu, Managing Partner at Marguerite, said:
“This major transaction represents another important milestone for Jifmar and is fully aligned with the strategy we initiated when we invested in the company in 2022. The financing arrangement we have secured is a strong endorsement of Jifmar’s business model and the quality of its assets. We are excited to continue supporting Jifmar on its journey.”
Jifmar was advised on the acquisition of Seacontractors by Clearwater (M&A, debt advisory), AKD (legal), Stephenson Harwood (legal, financing), PwC (financial and tax), Siaci (insurance) and Howden (W&I). The senior lenders were advised by DLA Piper, and the mezzanine lenders by Allen & Overy Shearman.