A.P. Moller - Maersk completes acquisition of Hamburg Süd

December 2, 2017: Hamburg Süd will now onwards operate as part of A.P. Moller – Maersk. The two parties signed the agreement on November 30.

Almost a year back in early December 2016, Maersk Line had announced its intention to acquire Hamburg Süd. A year later, the German-based shipping line has officially joined A.P. Moller - Maersk in one of the largest transactions in shipping history.

Ane Mærsk Mc-Kinney Uggla, Chairman of the A.P. Møller Foundation, extended greetings to the new members joining the organization. “I am pleased to express our sincere welcome wishes to every one of our new colleagues from Hamburg Süd.”

“To have Hamburg Süd, with its great history and dedicated team, as part of our company gives us pride. The company you are now joining has, like Hamburg Süd, a strong heritage in shipping as well as a tradition for value-based leadership, where our values are guidelines for each individual employee, all over the world, at sea and onshore,” Uggla added.

The acquisition would mean 35,600 employees teaming up for trade. Ottmar Gast, chairman of Hamburg Süd’s Supervisory Board, believes that the integration will bring about plenty of opportunities.

“With a wealth of experience in Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd, there is so much we can achieve by sharing knowledge and exchanging best practices between our businesses. I am convinced that we will contribute a lot to the achievement of our joint goal of revenue and market share growth as well as improving cost levels and productivity further. From sharing supplier insight and market intelligence, to identifying opportunities to improve equipment maintenance and cargo safety – by listening and learning, we will be able to deliver even better for customers, drive growth and make both brands more competitive and stronger for the future.”

While the impact of the integration will vary significantly across teams, everyone will come to understand one another’s business and ways of working, said Søren Skou, CEO of A.P. Moller – Maersk. “We will see that we have a lot in common. With over 100 years in shipping and the passion to match our histories, Maersk Line and Hamburg Süd know what it means to go the extra mile. We are family-backed businesses with strong values at the core. We love our work. And while in the coming months we will certainly find things that divide us, it is our belief that we will find far more that unites us.”