Rickmers-Linie has moved into the top 10 ranking of breakbulk operators with its deal to take over the activities of tramp and chartering specialist Nordana Project & Chartering, known as NPC.
Ulrich Ulrichs, CEO of Rickmers-Linie, confirmed to Breakbulk that the combined fleet size totaled 15 long-term chartered vessels and about the same number of short- and medium-term chartered vessels. The additional tonnage pushes Rickmers-Linie into the top 10 ranking of breakbulk operators, above AAL, Swire Shipping and Spliethoff by number of ships, according to consultant Dynamar’s 2016 ranking.
However, Ulrichs added that the takeover does not involve any asset or vessel ownership, as NPC operates a chartered fleet. Additionally, the U.S. East Coast to Mediterranean roll-on, roll-off service that previously ran under the Nordana Line brand has been rebranded to Weco RoRo and is outside the scope of the Rickmers-Linie deal
Ulrichs said that Rickmers-Linie intended to keep the NPC name, building on its standing in the tramping business, which complements Rickmers-Linie’s existing liner services.
“We want both service concepts in our portfolio in order to offer our joint client base more service options and better solutions,” he said.
Rickmers-Linie’s other agreements with Swire Shipping and Bahri would not be affected by the deal and would continue as before: “They remain a vital part of our overall expanded service portfolio,” said Ulrichs.
However, he conceded that further consolidation in the wider industry remained necessary if real improvements were to be made in MPV sector.
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