Uniatlantico has acquired a majority stake in EMS Chartering, Fehn Ship Management, and Northwest Competence.
The three companies, which are part of the EMS-Fehn Group, specialise in shipping and chartering, and ship management.
The combined shortsea shipping and chartering operations will be based in Leer, Germany, and operate under the branding of EMS Chartering. The combined teams will jointly market the combined coaster fleets of both partners. The joint unit will also have offices and teams in Hamburg and Bremen.
“We are very pleased to have this expanded team of seasoned and acclaimed shipping professionals on board, who have enjoyed a high reputation in the market for decades,” said Andreas Bergmann, ceo and founding partner of Uniatlantico.
The EMS Chartering team will be led by managing director Agnieszka Acar, who has been at the helm since July 2023. “Combining the coaster fleets further enhances our flexibility and helps us leverage our collective expertise and resources,” she said.
EMS Chartering’s fleet will now consist of nine general cargo coaster vessels, ranging in size from 2,600-5,000 dwt, which are suited for transporting bulk, breakbulk, and project cargo. A number of these ships can reach river ports and seaports with limited access.
Fehn Ship Management, responsible for the technical management of owned and third-party vessels, and the manning agency Northwest Competence (including its Riga-based offshoot Baltic Transocean Shipping & Crewing), are also part of the deal. The structure of EMS-Fehn-Group’s logistics division remains unchanged.
“We became shipowners in 2016 when we acquired our first fully-owned vessel, but so far we have mainly been focusing on a strong commercial operation,“ said Bergmann. Since 2016, the Uniatlantico fleet has grown steadily. “However, the idea of building up in-house competence in all aspects of commercial, technical, and crew management is only now becoming reality with the acquisition of shares in EMS-Fehn-Group’s Maritime division.“
