Helm

Background

Helm was founded in 1999 to provide software for the log towing industry on Canada’s west coast. Today, the company delivers purpose-built solutions to vessel operators around the globe. These operators use a wide range of boats (typically referred to as vessels in the industry) to provide towing, ferrying, and support services. Whether assisting ships entering or exiting ports, moving barges along inland waterways, supplying goods and services to offshore mineral and energy operations, or ferrying passengers, Helm’s software helps vessel operators manage their businesses efficiently. The platform includes modules for dispatch and billing, maintenance, compliance, and personnel tracking.

“We started out on the West Coast of Canada building software for the log towing companies who were moving logs to the sawmills or to storage grounds for export. - James Wadsworth, Helm CEO said.

After reaching the limits of serving western Canada’s highly specialized log towing industry, Helm was faced with the need to pivot. As the forestry sector declined, the company broadened its focus across the marine industry and today operates in four distinct verticals:

• Inland barges that move commodities up and down waterways
• Tugboats that push ships against berths when they come in from the ocean
• Offshore supply vessels that assist wind farms or resupply and/or move oil rigs
• Passenger vessels that ferry passengers for transportation or tourism

First acquisition

Helm was acquired for the first time in 2014 by a Japanese ship classification society. The acquisition was strategic, driven by Helm’s strong position in the US inland barging market. The new parent company viewed Helm as an entry point to the US. market, with plans to offer compliance auditing services to inland maritime fleets. At the time, US legislation governing inland vessel compliance was evolving, and Helm was already a leader in compliance software in this space.

Helm’s compliance product, Helm CONNECT, launched in 2016 and remains on the market today. However, when several of the anticipated US regulatory changes failed to materialize, the ownership team ultimately decided to put Helm up for sale once again.

Finding a forever home

Helm had been in contact with Omegro’s transit division several years earlier, and when the decision was made to sell the business, the broker managing the transaction reconnected the company with Omegro. For Helm’s ownership team, the most important factor was finding an acquirer committed to long-term ownership. “They were actually looking for a purchaser that would buy and hold, and Omegro had that profile,” Wadsworth said.

Omegro’s strategy of keeping each acquired business fully autonomous also resonated strongly with Helm’s leadership. According to Wadsworth, the decentralized management model places accountability for growth and operations where it belongs: with the people closest to the business.

“Providing the freedom and flexibility to the people who actually know the business is the best way to continue to operate.  These are the core values of Omegro that really do strengthen its position.” - James Wadsworth, CEO, Helm

Life at Helm since acquisition

Following its acquisition, Helm worked with Omegro to apply a disciplined benchmarking assessment across the business. This process highlighted risk reduction as a critical lever for long term profitability. In response, Helm scaled back select exploratory R&D initiatives and slowed expansion into higher risk geographies, allowing the leadership team to refocus on the company’s core markets and clarify where future investment would generate the greatest impact.

This strategic realignment was quickly put to the test. As market conditions became more volatile and customer expectations evolved, Helm entered the period with a clearer operating model and stronger fundamentals. As Wadsworth noted, the business was better prepared to absorb disruption and maintain focus as a result of the work already underway.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, as conditions stabilised and demand strengthened, Helm was able to respond decisively. Headcount increased in line with customer needs, sending a clear signal to employees that the business was once again on a growth trajectory. That confidence was underpinned by disciplined execution and a renewed focus on delivering value in Helm’s core markets.

In parallel, Helm continued to invest deliberately in product capability. The launch of advanced tools such as Helm Analytics reflects this focus - providing customers with deeper operational visibility, faster issue identification, and more actionable insights across their maritime operations. These enhancements strengthened Helm’s value proposition while reinforcing its commitment to practical, results driven innovation.

With a stronger foundation in place, Helm entered its next phase of growth with greater clarity and confidence. Since being acquired by Omegro, the business has continued to scale its operations and product offerings, delivering sustained double digit year over year growth while remaining disciplined about where and how it invests.

Initiatives to spark future growth

With a strong foundation in place, Helm’s leadership chose to reinvest in a key growth initiative: the development of a new module tailored to the inland barging market. While these capabilities existed in the company’s legacy system, Helm had not yet had the time or resources to build them into its newer SaaS platform. “It’s been the one thing that's been missing, and our initiative is about developing that piece that will help us further monetize our barging market and generate more growth in the future,” Wadsworth said.

The initiative is a three-year project that began in December 2021. Progress is reviewed through biweekly meetings, and regular customer feedback helps ensure development remains responsive. This iterative approach allows new features to be added throughout the process, resulting in a product designed around real-world user needs.

“One of the things that we're noticing is customers are buying our current products as a result of knowing that we are building our future products out. The initiative has helped us grow our current core business, which is really important." - James Wadsworth, CEO, Helm