Claus-Peter Offen to purchase Conti Group

Hamburg shipowner Claus-Peter Offen will take over 100 percent of the Conti Group’s shares as well as most of its shares in in technical ship manager Bremer Bereederungsgesellschaft.    Hamburg shipowner Claus-Peter Offen has announced plans to take over the Munich-based Conti Group, according to CPO Holding, a member of the Offen Group.
    Offen will take over 100 percent of the shares of Conti Group as well as a majority of shares in technical ship manager Bremer Bereederungsgesellschaft (BBG). Conti Group will continue to operate as an independent company, however.
   The deal signals another step towards German shipping consolidation. Once the takeover is complete, Offen will have a total of 169 vessels; 95 of which will be boxships of a total of 631,000 TEUs with the other 74 vessels split evenly between bulkers and product tankers.
   Conti Group will continue to operate 30 containerships averaging at 6,500 TEUs per vessel as well as eight product tankers and 29 bulkers.
   The technical management of the bulkers is handled by BBG in Bremen, which currently manages 35 bulker vessels.