The recruitment company MARPRO celebrates its seven-year anniversary. What started as a “one-man show” is now a company with twelve employees at various locations across Europe.
When Jakob le Fevre, founder and CEO of the MARPRO Group, reflects on the past seven years, he describes them as “a hell of a ride.”
“The MARPRO Group began as a sole venture without a defined vision for future growth. After working this way for several years, I developed a unique business system specifically tailored to recruitment in the global maritime industry. Since then, we have consistently optimized and refined our processes. I firmly believe that our current concept is unparalleled in the industry.”
Originally founded as MARPRO in 2017, the company has now evolved from a young startup into a robust MARPRO Group. Notably, between 2021 and 2023, the MARPRO Group underwent a transformation by opening two additional offices across Europe and growing from one person to 12 team members.
New MARPRO-offices in the Netherlands and Germany
The Danish company expanded into the Netherlands and Germany, among other places. These new offices were not just about geographical reach and their significance in the global maritime industry. They were also about the commitment to serving clients with local expertise and cultural understanding—essential elements when working with people, especially in the maritime industry, says the MARPRO Group, which now has clients in 25 countries. The long-term goal, however, is to expand to other maritime hotspots.
But this year, the company is focusing first on strengthening existing branches and solidifying the organization’s overall structure. This shift in focus from expansion to consolidation is a sign of the MARPRO Group maturing into an established company. Instead of pursuing growth for growth’s sake, the MARPRO Group aims to improve the quality of its services, deepen customer relationships, and solidify its position as a reliable partner in maritime recruitment.
“The MARPRO Group recently celebrated its 7th anniversary. The number seven represents the end of one phase and the beginning of a new one. In recent years, we have built a strong financial foundation and are currently investing in various expansions. We have just established an important partnership with LinkedIn and are now an official Enterprise Partner. Additionally, we have meticulously documented our processes in preparation for future ISO certification,” says Jakob le Fevre.
“The vision is to revolutionize the global maritime recruitment market”
“We have switched to a new Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that offers a unique candidate experience and have worked with the world’s leading CRM provider and an external consulting firm to improve our business system. While most niche recruitment companies remain small, our size allows us to professionalize our operations to meet our customers’ standards,” continues le Fevre.
“MARPRO’s vision is to revolutionize the global maritime recruitment market through the implementation of an innovative business model on a global scale. This will be achieved by establishing smaller business units worldwide. These units will utilize a unified branding strategy, standardized procedures, targeted marketing initiatives, a coherent pricing strategy, and advanced cloud-based tools and file archives.”
