Wilh. Wilhelmsen

Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding ASA

Type	Public
Traded as	OSE: WWI
Industry	Shipping
Founded	1861
Headquarters	Lysaker, Norway
Key people	Thomas Wilhelmsen (CEO) Diderik Schnitler (chair)
Number of employees	17,600 incl land based organisation, joint ventures and seafarers
Website	www.wilhelmsen.com

Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding ASA (WWH)^[1] is a global maritime industry group, headquartered in Lysaker, Norway. The group employs approximately 17,600 people and has operations in 73 nations.

The WW group had an operating profit of 339 million United States dollars according to figures published in February 2015 and is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. It was founded on 1 October 1861 in Tønsberg. Though the company's first vessel was the Mathilde in 1886, they started making profits only after the vessel Talabot in 1887. Thence, all their ships have been named, started with the letter "T", often leading to the same name given repeatedly to different ships over time. For example, there have been at least four ships named Talabot ranging from tankers to ro-ro vessels.

The ground floor of the head office also houses (close to the entrance) an honorary consul office. One of the underground chambers houses casks of Linje Akvavit that are carried in containers on their ships, and usually served at staff meetings and annual officer get-togethers in the ground floor. The first and second floors also house memorabilia from their various vessels.

The company was founded by Wilhelm Wilhelmsen in 1861. It is currently owned by the siblings Wilhelm Wilhelmsen, Finn Wilhelmsen, Cecilie Paus and Helen Juell.^[2]

History

In 1861, the company was founded by (Morten) Wilhelm Wilhelmsen in the town of Tønsberg, Norway. During the next two decades, Wilhelmsen's fleet increased with an average of one ship per year and by 1886 Wilhelmsen was Tønsberg's largest shipowner.

In 1886, Wilhelmsen's eldest son, Halfdan Wilhelmsen joined the firm and was instrumental in the company's move from sail ships to its first steamship. In late 1887, the company acquired the 1,800-ton freighter, Talabot. The steamship was a profitable investment for the Wilhelmsens and the letter "T" became synonymous with the company's naming tradition for its vessels.

In 1890, Halfdan Wilhelmsen laid the basis of the company's core business - liner trades. In 1911 NAAL (The Norwegian Africa and Australia Line) was established.

A turning point in the expansion of the Roll-on/roll-off operations was the full acquisition in November 1995 of NAL (Norwegian America Line) and its 7 Car Carriers. NAL also owned a 70% stake in NOSAC (Norwegian Specialised Autocarcarriers), already in partnership with Wilh. Wilhelmsen Line, that was owning the remaining 30% share. At that time, NAL was facing a cargo volume downturn and an overall profits reduction, that made register lower than expected financial results in 1994-1995. However the NOSAC takeover was fundamental not only to increase the fleet of nearly further 20 Car Carrier vessels, but also to fully step into the Korean market, where the company was previously awarded Kia Motors contract to ship cars from South Korea to United States, from 1996 to 1998.^[3]

Wilhelmsen family

The company's owners, the Wilhelmsen family, are descended from Wilhelm Zachariassen Holst (ca. 1732–1807), probably of Holstein origin, who worked at Vallø saltverk. His great-grandson was shipping magnate (Morten) Wilhelm Wilhelmsen (1839–1910), the founder of Wilh. Wilhelmsen. He was the father of ship-owner Halfdan Wilhelmsen (1864–1923), factory owner Finn Wilhelmsen (1867–1951), ship-owner Wilhelm Wilhelmsen (1872–1955) and businessman Axel Wilhelmsen (1881–1957).^[4]

Halfdan Wilhelmsen was the father of Mistress of the Robes Else Werring (1905–89), married to ship-owner Niels Roth Heyerdahl Werring (1897–1990). Wilhelm Wilhelmsen (1872) was the father of ship-owner Tom Wilhelmsen (1911–78), who was the father of the current owners of the Wilh. Wilhelmsen company: Morten Wilhelm Wilhelmsen (born 1937), Finn Wilhelmsen (born 1939), Cecilie Paus (born 1943) and Helen Juell (born 1947). Cecilie Paus is the mother of fashion designer Pontine Paus.

Current operations

Shipping

MV Tortugas at the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 2008

WW conducts shipping activities and specialises in roll-on roll off cargo, especially for large project and awkward cargoes like train coaches, small aircraft and large industrial machinery. This is aided by the fact that their Ro-ro vessels have large ramps that can support up to 420 tonnes cargo weight at a time. Together with its partners (Eukor and Wallenius Lines), the group controls some 160 car and roll-on/roll-off carriers operating in a global network of trades. Its customers include manufacturers of cars as well as construction and agricultural machinery. In the car carrier market, they are the third largest carrier tonnage wise after MOL and NYK Line. On an annual basis, WW’s shipping companies transport 5 million cars and 12 million cubic metres of high and heavy and non-containerised cargoes.

The group both owns and charters vessels, which are deployed in the fleets operated by subsidiaries Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, EUKOR Car Carriers and American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier.

In June 2011, Wilh. Wilhelmsen acquired the MV Tønsberg, first of a class of "Mark V" roro ships built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries; they are the largest roro ships in the world.^[5]

Logistics services

In association with maritime transport, WW offers various types of logistics service on land – terminal and technical services, procurement of inland transport and supply chain management for vehicles. In addition to logistical services offered through WWL, the WW group has interests in South Korea's Glovis, Australia's Kaplan and the two US companies American Auto Logistics and American Logistics Network.

Maritime services

WW’s wholly owned Wilhelmsen Maritime Services (WMS) subsidiary offers services like agencies in many ports. These earlier were marketed under the name "BARWIL" (named after Barber - Wilhelmsen) and is one of the world’s largest providers of third-party ship management services.^[6]

Wilhelmsen Ship Management, the WMS crewing and management company, at one time managed roughly 290 vessels and has a pool of 10 000 seagoing personnel.

Accidents and casualties

During the early hours of 14 December 2002, MV Tricolor (ex Nosac Sun, built in 1987) was sailing from Zeebrugge, Belgium to Southampton, U.K., with a load of nearly 2871 brand new BMW, Volvo and SAAB automobiles. She collided in the English Channel with mv Kariba, a 1982 Bahamian-flagged container ship. Kariba was able to continue on, but Tricolor sank and required salvage by wreck cutting. No casualties occurred.^[7]

List of current Wilhelmsen Lines ships

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• "List of Wilhelmsen lines ships". Wilh. Wilhelmsen. Archived from the original on 8 August 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2011.