INTERMAR can do pretty much anything a maritime business could ever want
Starting from scratch, INTERMAR has grown into one of the country’s most important shipping and logistics firms. Founded by George Pelgrim, who remains at the helm, INTERMAR is celebrating 40 years in business in 2025. For four decades, INTERMAR has evolved alongside the rapid development of Sint Maarten’s maritime industry. What began with Pelgrim and four employees has grown into a key logistics provider supporting a port that now handles over 100,000 TEUs (twenty foot containers) annually, or 1,200-1500 weekly. It has expanded its services from ship agency and cargo handling to include third party logistics, warehousing and inland transportation logistics. Its full breakdown of services includes sea and air freight logistics; import/export consolidation; devanning (unloading cargo from a container), warehousing and distribution; door-to-door trucking for both full container load and less than container load shipments; customs clearance and documentation; project cargo logistics and professional moving and relocation. Many of these services are carried out under the brand INTERMAR Freight Express.
At INTERMAR’s inception, too, Sint Maarten’s port infrastructure was a shadow of today, with fewer cruise ships, minimum port infrastructure, fewer passengers at the airport and overall import demand was much lower than it is today. “INTERMAR has grown alongside the island,” Pelgrim explains. “As the government, economy and demand grew, so did we — investing in equipment, personnel and expanding our shipping lines.” That growth now manifests as a team of 150 and a full suite of maritime services. It has become a cornerstone of St. Maarten’s logistics infrastructure. On June 23rd, it will celebrate its 40th anniversary.
Sustainability and innovation are also guiding INTERMAR’s future. “I recently visited one of the world’s largest port equipment manufacturers. They’re producing electric vehicles and we’re exploring those options,” he shares. “Once the island’s electrical infrastructure is ready, we’ll be prepared to transition.” The company plans to invest in electric trucks and emission-controlled equipment to reduce its carbon footprint. However, challenges such as limitations in the local power grid infrastructure remain. Sint Maarten’s grid has historically been unreliable with frequent load shedding and blackouts ensuring many businesses rely on generators. This is being addressed effectively, however. Several new generators with a combined output of 30 megawatts are operational and the island is in the process of ordering three nine megawatts generators, for an additional 27 megawatts. Combined, this should be enough to stabilize the grid for the future.
Adapting to market needs
The island’s growing superyacht industry further highlights its maritime potential. “Two new marinas have opened in the last five to six years and we’re seeing increased imports for yacht-related equipment. It benefits the entire economy,” Pelgrim recalls. As examples of these benefits, he cites, “Yachts bring high-value guests who enjoy our hospitality, safety and accessibility.”
Where there are yachts, there are high-net-worth individuals who need transportation to and from the vessels. This is where Intermar Travel Agency comes in, offering a wide range of airline and cruise travel-related services catered to the community of Sint Maarten and surrounding islands. Sint Maarten is a hub and stopover base for islands including Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Kitts and Nevis, owing to its strong travel connections with the U.S. INTERMAR has been a member of the International Air Travel Association and American Society of Travel Advisors since 1987 and has received numerous accolades from major airlines and cruise lines for its outstanding service. As cruise tourism expands, INTERMAR is playing a new role in provisioning vessels throughout the region. “Cruise ships now use our port for fresh produce and supplies sent from Miami or Europe. Sint Maarten is becoming a provisioning hub for the Caribbean.”
Looking to the future, Pelgrim is confident about the island’s appeal to investors. “The U.S. supplies 60 percent of our imports and 57 percent of our tourism. Sint Maarten is a vibrant, growing island, open to investment and participation.” With its strategic location, efficient logistics and forward-looking vision, Sint Maarten is charting a bold course as a leading maritime and investment destination in the Caribbean. INTERMAR is at the forefront of that.