Samskip buys Norwegian short-sea transport operator

Multi-modal container transport and logistics company Samskip said it expects its Norway business to increase from the current 55,000 TEUs per year to 90,000 TEUs per year due to its acquisition of Euro Container Lines AS.    Samskip, a Netherlands-based multi-modal container transport and logistics company with primary operations in Europe, has acquired Euro Container Lines AS to serve the Norwegian market.
   Founded in Iceland in 1990, Samskip has annual sales of 625 million euros (U.S. $698 million, based on today’s exchange rate). The company specializes in short-sea container shipping; cold storage; and road, rail and barge services.
   Samskip said the Euro Container Lines deal enables it to provide direct, and faster, service to Norway, which will be especially beneficial for Norwegian fish exporters. In addition, Samkip said the acquisition gives Norwegian shippers better access to the German ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven and its large European regional transport network
   Samskip said it expects its Norway business to increase from the current 55,000 TEUs per year to 90,000 TEUs annually.
   Overall, Samskip currently moves about 850,000 TEUs on an annual basis.
   The acquisition also means a significant expansion in the refrigerated transport capacity Samskip can offer connecting with its own cold stores in Ålesund and Rotterdam, which increases to around 275-300 reefer containers per week.
   The transaction is part of Samskip’s Nordic expansion strategy. Recently, Samskip purchased a 50 percent stake in Norwegian reefer vessel operator Silver Green AS.
   Samskip’s vessels will operate between 14 ports in Norway, and possibly call additional ports on an inducement basis. The company will have three to four sailings per week into Norway from Rotterdam and Hamburg, depending on seasonal demand, Samskip said.