Hamburg Süd

Hamburg Südamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft
Private
Industry Transport
Founded 1871
Headquarters Hamburg, Germany
Key people
Dr. Ottmar Gast (Chairman of the Executive Board)
Peter Frederiksen, Heino Schmidt, Frank Smet, Arnt Vespermann (Members of Executive Board)
Products Shipping
Freight distribution
Others
Revenue €5.470 billion 2012
Number of employees
4,512 (2012)
Website www.hamburgsud.com

Hamburg Süd is a shipping line on the North-South ocean trade routes, in which was part of the Oetker Group and sold to A.P. Moller–Maersk Group's shipping division Maersk Line [1][2]

History

Oetker tanker Richard Kaselowsky in 1960

In 1871 Hamburg Südamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft [note 1] (Hamburg - South America Steam Shipping Company or Hamburg South America Line) was established by a conglomerate of 11 Hamburg-based merchant houses.[3] Three steam-ships totalling 4,000 GRT provided a monthly shipping service to Brazil and Argentina.[3]

By 1914 the company was operating over 50 ships totaling approximately 325,000 GRT. World War I culminated in the loss of all Hamburg Süd's vessels, and the company was forced to begin again by chartering vessels.

The early 1950s saw the company embark on tramp shipping and tanker shipping, and large growth of refrigerated cargoes. In 1955 the Dr. August Oetker company took the company over, and began rapid expansion of the liner and passenger services.

The takeover of Deutsche Levante Linie in 1956 saw the company commence its first foray into the Mediterranean. 1957 saw liner services begin between North America and Australia/New Zealand, with the Columbus New Zealand being the first container ship to ply trade-lanes in the region in 1971, pioneering containerization in the Pacific.

Roles in war

Corporate takeovers

Container vessel Monte Sarmiento

Hamburg Süd also owns Brazilian operator Aliança and Spanish operator Ybarra Sud. It has taken over many companies over the years including Ellerman, Kien Hung, South Seas Steamship, Deutsche-Nah-Ost-Linie, Royal Mail Line, Pacific Steam Navigation Company, Swedish Laser Lines, Rotterdam Zuid-America Lijn (RZAL), Havenlijn and the Inter-America services of Crowley American Transport. In the past parts of Hamburg Süd has been known as Columbus Line. Since 2004 the services of Columbus Line are directly integrated into Hamburg-Süd. The current container fleet of dry boxes has a distinctive red color with a huge flag and white HAMBURG SÜD logo on the side.

The refrigerated boxes are white with the flag and navy blue lettering.

Humanitarian aid

One of Hamburg Süd's container ships passing the Golden Gate

Hamburg Süd supports international aid organisations with in-house shipping facilities. In the shortest possible time, relief supplies and technical or medical equipment are transported where needed, typically after natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

Hamburg Süd maintains a long-term relationship to SOS Children's Villages, supporting their projects in different countries. Hamburg Süd also supports various initiatives in the fields of education and culture, including the United Buddy Bears exhibitions.

See also

Notes

  1. The triple f is correct; it is from a misspelling in the company's original registration in Germany.

References

  1. Career Training & Internships at Hamburg Süd
  2. 1 2 Pein, James Cooper, Arnold Kludas, Joachim (1989). The Hamburg South America Line (Reprinted 1990 ed.). Kendal, Cumbria: World Ship Society. p. 11. ISBN 0905617509.
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