DENHOLM TO MERGE WITH ANGLO-EASTERN

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   Two of the world’s foremost ship management companies, J&J Denholm Group and Anglo-Eastern Group, said Monday they plan to merger.
   In an agreement, John Denholm, chairman of the Denholm Group, and Peter Cremers, chairman of Anglo-Eastern, agreed to pool both groups’ ship management and crewing operations.
   The Denholm Group will take a shareholding in the holding company that controls the Anglo-Eastern Group, with John Denholm being appointed as a non-executive chairman.
   Cremers will become chairman of the individual companies and chief executive officer of the newly merged group. Marcel Liedts, Anglo-Eastern’s managing director, will become group managing director.
   Richard Wong, finance director for Anglo-Eastern will become group finance director. Bob Speedie, chief executive of Denholm Ship Management (Holdings) Ltd., will assist in the integration of the two groups and then retire later in 2001.
      Mike Pride, managing director of Denholm Ship Management, and Douglas Lang, managing director of Denholm Crew Management, will retain their jobs.
   No name has yet been announced for the newly merged group, which will be based in Hong Kong. The integration of the two companies is expected to take nine months.
   Meantime, Denholm clients will continue to be serviced by Denholm staff. The merged group will retain ship management offices in Montreal, Glasgow, Singapore, La Spezia and Jakarta; crew management offices in Mumbai (Bombay), Manila, Guangzhou and Isle of Man, and marketing offices in New Zealand, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, the United States and Japan.
   A family business with a 135-year-history, the Denholm Group brings a European base to Anglo-Eastern’s Asian presence. “We have little or no conflict in terms of clients,” said Denholm.
   “I have always been against big for the sake of big, but [here] I see increased financial resources,” said Cremers.