Supporting the communities we serve, and raising awareness of the maritime industry, has been at the heart of Polaris’ operations since our earliest days growing out of the Liverpool shipbuilding cluster in 2007.
Here working with Cammell Laird shipbuilders we supported its efforts to raise money for the Fairbridge youth charity and later Princes Trust programmes to help young people in poor communities.
Sitting on organizing committees with some of Liverpool’s biggest companies like Bibby Shipping Line and Grosvenor Estates we saw the positive impact maritime companies can have raising money, organizing charity events and galvanizing the support of their supply chains.
We have taken this ethos to the United States. Since setting up Polaris Media America in Chicago in 2022 we have helped to reestablish the Chicago Propeller Club, a chapter of the International Propeller Club, the world’s biggest maritime networking organization founded in the U.S in the 1920s.
The Chicago chapter traces its roots back to 1933 but had been dormant for 15 years, after being one of the most powerful business groups in Chicago for many years. Polaris kickstarted its revival investing management time and around $100,000 a year in pro bono PR services including publicity, event organization, website build and social media support.
But the rechartering of the club in 2024 has very much been a team effort with Polaris founder Ben Pinnington joining board members from leading Chicagoland companies including Illinois International Port District, the Ports of Indiana, SBSB Eastham law firm, 5R Enterprises, Marwedel law firm and Lakes and Rivers Contracting.
Bringing people together
Following a lot of hard work by many people the club is now the preeminent maritime industry networking group in the Great Lakes Mid West region. It holds four events a year attracting hundreds of people from across the United States while sponsors and supporters include American Great Lakes Ports Association, the U.S. Coast Guard, the St Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and a wide range of vessel operators, equipment manufacturers, and professional service firms.
The club aims to bring the maritime community together for business networking, to share opportunities and also to raise awareness of maritime.
In 2024 following a period of rapid growth and collecting more than $30,000 in sponsorship the club was named International Port Chapter of the Year at the International Propeller Club convention in Tampa, beating 80 chapters worldwide.
In 2025 the club again raised more than $30,000 in sponsorship and began donating to seafarer charity Stella Maris Chicago to help the meet the running costs of its van operating in the ports of Chicago and Burns Harbor. The club is further giving support to veteran charities like No Salt Sailing which helps veterans and their families cope with PTSD. The charity spoke at our summer 2025 event in front of an audience including the administrator of the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) and a collection of the Great Lakes port directors.
For live updates on Chicago Propeller Club activities follow its LinkedIn page: Chicago Propeller Club: Company Page Admin | LinkedIn
Polaris is always keen to support initiatives that help our community and raise awareness of the maritime industry, helping people of all ages into careers as well as providing mentoring for maritime professionals and young people.
If you’d like to work with us and Chicago Propeller Club please contact us: news@polarismediapr.com