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A
special developed agency department will serve your vessel(s) in the
following ports: Gdansk, Gdynia, Hamburg, Ladebow, Lübeck, Mukran,
Rostock, Sopot, Stralsund, Swinoujscie, Szczecin, Wismar and Wolgast 24
hrs a day and 7 days a week.
25 Years 1978-2003 Meerpahl & Meyer GmbH.
The basis
of the cooperation and the following company foundation is already
formed at the company Transmar Schifffahrtskontor Adolf Feindt
Hamburg, where Klaus-Peter Meerpahl works until 1975 and Hans-Uwe
Meyer until December 1977.
On 1st January,
1978, the two shareholders Hans-Uwe Meyer and Klaus-Peter Meerpahl found
the Meerpahl & Meyer oHG. First, a small office is rented in the
Schröderstr. 37 in Hamburg, Hohenfelde Alsterdorf.
In the
beginning, Klaus-Peter Meerpahl deals mainly with the chartering and
the operation of 10 rather small coastal ships between 1000 and 1600
tons deadweight of the German shipowner Vega - Reederei Friedrich
Dauber, based in Hamburg. These ships were first dealt with on a
semi-exclusive basis.
Hans-Uwe Meyer
first concentrates on the competitive chartering of ships in European
trades and on the chartering of the two shelterdeckers M/V "Birkenhain"
and M/V "Erlenhain" (both 1.800 tons deadweight) of the German shipowner
Friedrich Heidemann, Hamburg. The chartering of both ships is done
exclusively.
In addition
to the activities mentioned above, one deals with the agency in the
port of Hamburg and with the sale and purchase of different ships.
The first ship is dispatched by the company's agency department on
15th January, 1978, with the M/V "Mühlenberg". The M/V "Mühlenberg"
loads 1.600 tons of alumina at the company Steinweg in Hamburg for
Rotterdam.
Additionally,
some rather unusual activities, like the procurement of the passenger
ship "Stadt Neustadt" (450 passengers) to the Lyndaret Reederei GmbH,
Hamburg for about 6 years on a bareboatcharter on 23rd February, 1982,
are part of the company´s daily routines. The ship is supposed to offer
the route Malmö-Copenhagen with 3 departures per day.
The company
does not only want to focus on the European market though. On 1st
April, 1980, Gert Uwe Detlefsen is employed as a reinforcement for
the chartering department. He is in charge of the competitive
chartering for the world-wide trades of all sizes.
The M/V "Sylvia
Omega" of the so-called "Europe class" is being dispatched by the
company's agency as the first "supership" on 20th May, 1980, in
Hamburg-Harburg. The reconstruction of the old dock in Harburg makes
this possible. The ship discharges 3.500 tons of calcium ammonium
nitratre from Spain.
On 9th
December, 1980, the company In-Naval, Bremen, buys the M/V "Hermann
Suhr", a coastal ship with 840 tons deadweight. The chartering is
done exclusively by Meerpahl & Meyer.
The M/V
"Birkenhain" sinks on 27th June, 1981, close to Oran. The crew is
rescued by the M/V "Junior Lotte".
The M/V
"Shanin" (deadweight 630 tons), which first was bought by captain
Aloys Beenke, Hamburg, IS ADDED (comes to) the company´s chartering
department on 17th July, 1982.
On 8th July,
1983, the M/V "Baursberg" (deadweight 2.890 tons) with the construction
no. "909" and the series type "110" is delivered at Sietas' shipsyard.
The delivery forms the company´s first participation in a ship's
newbuilding. In this connection, a partnership with the Vega Reederei,
Hamburg was founded, where the company has a share in of 26%. In
addition to this newbuilding, the company takes over the chartering of
the two newbuildings M/V "Polterberg" and M/V "Birgit Sabban" of the
owner Vega-Reederei/Brügge & Sabban, Hamburg which are delivered at
Sietas' shipyard almost simultaneously.
During
that time, the company does the chartering of all 13 ships of Vega's
fleet exclusively.
Another order
for the chartering of a vessel followed in the beginning of 1984 with
the M/V "Jürgen Wehr" (deadweight 2300 tons) of the shipowner Oskar Wehr
KG, Hamburg.
In the end
of 1985, the fleet size which is being worked on by the company
exclusively rises up to 20 ships. Whereas in the beginning, the
company was limited to sizes of more or less 1.000 to 1.600 tons
deadweight, it now does the chartering for ships between 1.600 and
4.750 tons deadweight. Furthermore, the shipowner Heinz-Georg Vöge,
Drochtersen, with 3 ships, which are ranging between 2.000 and 3.000
tons deadweight, is added to Meerpahl & Meyer's fleet as well.
In the night of
the 22nd to the 23rd January, 1986, the M/V "Erlenhain" is the victim of
a terrible storm with strong winds of up to 150 km/h in the French Bay
and sinks. It was on its way from Tunisia to England. The crew,
consisting of eight people, sinks with the ship. No "SOS"- signal was
received. Later, just an empty lifeboat is found.
The first
ship with Meerpahl & Meyer being a shareholder, is sold on 1st
December, 1986, as M/V "Leeswig" (deadweight 1.200 tons) to the
shipowner Bernd Michael Toepfer, Hollern. Later, it is called M/V
"Mathias" and is still under the management of Meerpahl and Meyer.
Due to the
constant expansion, the company moves to another office building in the
Domstraße 11 (Hamburg Neustadt) on 1st January, 1987.
One year
later, on 15th January 1988, the company gives a reception for its
10th anniversary in the Hafen Club at the St.Pauli Landungsbrücken
in Hamburg. Several guests from Germany and abroad attend.
In May, 1989,
the shipowner Erwin Strahlmann, Marne, receives his new ship M/V
"Borsteler Berg" (deadweight 2.831 tons, built at Damen's shipyard,
Gorinchem/Holland) and joins the company. It is under the management of
Meerpahl & Meyer.
The policy
of expansion is continued in the following years. In 1990, the
company´s activities are extended by the foundation of the branch in
Lübeck in the following business fields: transshipment, cargo
operation, customs clearance, supervision, forwarding and agency,
especially in the areas construction material - and fertilizer
trade. This branch is managed by Thomas Meerpahl.
The cargo
operation by the branch in Lübeck amounts to about 1 million tons every
year. The branch in Lübeck now consists of four employees.
In May
1990, the shipowner Oskar Wehr KG, Hamburg, takes over the M/V
"Katja" (deadweight 3.000 tons) from the shipowner Stahmer,
Buxtehude. From then on, it is called M/V "Birte Wehr" and is
managed by Meerpahl & Meyer.
Almost
simultaneously, the shipowner Bernd-Michael Toepfer, Hollern, buys the
M/V "Elbe" (deadweight 2.000 tons) from the shipowner Engelbrecht,
Glückstadt. It is then called M/V "Echo Matthias". The time charter with
the company Echoship, Svendborg, is arranged by Meerpahl & Meyer.
The M/V
"Christina" (deadweight 2.800 tons) of the shipowner Oskar Wehr KG,
Hamburg, sinks after a collision with the Swedish tanker "Ek-Cloud"
on 15th June, 1990, on the river Weser and is then sold "as is" to
Finland.
The container
ship "Robert" (deadweight 4.200 tons) of the shipowner H.G. Vöge,
Drochtersen, is rammed by the Chinese freighter "Yu Lin" on 22nd
December, 1990, and sinks to the ground of the river Weser. The crew is
rescued. The M/V "Robert" is lifted, repaired and lengthened. On 29th
April, 1991,it has got its first trip again.
Due to
political changes in Germany, the company gets the chance to work in
the area of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and this way is able to
offer a better service for its clients. On 14th November, 1991, a
second branch in Rostock is founded. The company offers the same
service here as in Lübeck and this way is able to cover the whole
Baltic Sea area of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Today, two
employees work in Rostock.
On 3rd April,
1992, the shipowner Hans-Peter Gewandt, Elmshorn, decides to put his M/V
"Ingrid" (deadweight 2.900 tons) under the management of Meerpahl &
Meyer.
The M/V
"Meike" (deadweight 2.000 tons) of the shipowner Bernd-Michael
Toepfer is sold to the shipowner Rudolf & Runge KG, Hamburg, on 27th
September, 1992. Meerpahl & Meyer is responsible for the arrangement
of the deal.
In September,
1992, Meerpahl & Meyer GmbH has 25 ships under its management. Two of
them are used for the container trade, the others for the bulktrade.
The
shipowner Sprante in Brunsbüttel buys two halves of a coastal ship
in Hamburg and in Bremen. Together, they form the M/V "Helse"
(deadweight 2.100 tons), which is employed by Meerpahl & Meyer since
19th December, 1992.
A tragic event
for every person involved takes place on 18th August, 1993, on the M/V
"Bärbel" (deadweight 2800 tons) managed by Meerpahl & Meyer. The ship is
on its way from London to Rostock. On 20th August, 1993, the ship is
found close to Esbjerg without a single crew member on board. The
Russian seaman Lapin is found in a lifeboat. The rest of the crew keeps
missing. Some experts guess that the Russian seaman Lapin killed all
four other seamen and the captain and then threw them overboard. The
seaman is arrested provisionally and later, in an indication process
taking place in Osnabrück, he is condemned to a suspended sentence of
one year.
As another
activitiy of the company, the Meerpahl & Meyer ship management
branch is founded on 1st November, 1993, in Buxtehude. It is mainly
in charge of the company's five own ships.
The basis of
the own fleet is formed by the acquisition of the M/V "Claus Jürgens"
(deadweight 3.000 tons) and the M/V "Mathias" (deadweight 2.100 tons).
In the same year, both of them are handed over by the Klaus Jürgens KG,
Engelbrechtsche Wildnis or rather by the Bernd Michael Toepfer KG,
Hollern-Twielenfleth, to the new-founded shipmanagement department. The
M/V "Claus Jürgens" is renamed in M/V "Leeswig" and the M/V "Mathias" in
M/V "Cranz". Both are used by the chartering department in Hamburg for
the European bulk trade. The branch in Buxtehude now consists of two
employees.
On 4th
November, 1993, the M/V "Catharina" discharges the one millionth ton
of stones in Rostock, which was dispatched by the branch in Rostock
since summer 1990. For this quantity, 303 ships are used in total.
Since 1994, the
M/V "Anja" and the M/V "Birgit" (both 1.700 tons deadweight) of the
shipowner Bernhard Dopp in Haren/Ems are managed by Meerpahl & Meyer.
The M/V "Maria D" and the M/V "Katharina D" (both 1.700 tons deadweight)
of the same shipowner are managed by the company already since May 1992.
In January
1994, a department for competitive chartering is found in Hamburg.
Several clients, especially in the agricultural sector, could be won
by the two employees Harald Grüll and Birger Hagen. Today, this
department charters about one million tons of cargo every year.
The branch
Meerpahl & Meyer GmbH in Wismar is founded in the beginning of 1995. The
main activity is the agency of ships. This branch consists of one
employee.
The
shipowner department takes over a third ship on 18th January, 1995.
It is the M/V "Monika Ehler" (deadweight 3.050 tons, type "139"
Sietas yard) of the shipowner Heinz Ehler KG, Otterndorf, which is
renamed in M/V "Wahlstedt". The fleet of the company now consists of
32 ships, all in sizes between 1500 to 4500 tons deadweight, which
mainly are employed in the North European trade.
In the late
summer of the same year, the M/V "Strilberg" is dispatched in
Hamburg-Hansaport by the agency department in Hamburg. This ship with
its 17.000 tons deadweight is the biggest ship which has been handled by
the agency until then. Other ships, especially in the "handy"-size,
follow.
The M/V
"Rita" (deadweight 3.050 tons) is taken over as the third ship of
the type "130", Sietas yard, by the shipowner Hans-Georg Vöge in
Buxtehude on 30th September, 1995. Now, four ships are employed in
the own fleet. The ship is renamed into M/V "Buxtehude".
The M/V
"Golfstrom" (deadweight 3.000 tons) of the Oskar Wehr KG, Hamburg, runs
aground close to the Hebrides during a trip from Ireland to Rostock in
bad weather and cannot be salvaged any more. All members of the crew are
rescued.
The company
moves once again on 1st December, 1995. From now on, it is located
in the Deichstraße 1 (Hamburg-Neustadt).
On 13th
December, 1995, the shipowner Strahlmann, Marne, takes over the M/V
"Nordfahrt" as well as the M/V "Elly Bojen" (both 2.860 tons
deadweight). Both ships are built at the Jansen's yard in Leer and are
renamed in "Azur" and "Marek" respectively. Both are still managed today
by Meerpahl & Meyer.
Shortly
afterwards, the company acquires the M/V "Sierksdorf" (deadweight
2.850 tons) of the type "110", Sietas yard, by the shipowner Rudolph
& Runge KG, Hamburg, on 2nd January, 1996. Now, the company owns
five ships.
Even the own
fleet cannot be protected from accidents. On 13th April, 1998, the M/V
"Sierksdorf" is rammed by a fish trawler in the English channel and
looses its whole bridge. Apart from a knee injury of the captain, the
crew gets off with a bad fright.
With the
M/V "Johanna" (deadweight 3.500 tons) of the type "130C", Sietas
yard, taken over from the shipowner Heinz Georg Vöge, Drochtersen,
on 18th May of the same year, the number of the own ships rises to
six units. The ship was built at the Sietas yard on 19th April,
1990. It is renamed in M/V "Radesforde".
In order to be
able to cover the Eastern part of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania even
better, the company forms a cooperation with the company
Schiffahrtsagentur Stralsund as far as agency is concerned in 1999.
After the
M/V "Cranz" was sold BY Meerpahl & Meyer in December 2000, another
ship of the shipowner Hermann Barr, Brake, is acquired for the own
fleet on 26th September, 2001: the M/V "Anita B" (deadweight 3.050
tons, type "110", Sietas yard). It is renamed in M/V "Jork".
On 7th June,
2001, the M/V "Wahlstedt" is rammed by a reefer ship in the English
Channel off Dover and the rudder engine-room is damaged considerably.
The ship calls at Dover as the emergency harbour, and later is repaired
in Bremerhafen. There are no serious injuries of the crew.
In October
2001, the M/V "Ortrud" (deadweight 3.000 tons) of the shipowner
Karl-Heinz Zarlewski, Bargteheide, is sold to the shipowner Erwin
Strahlmann, Marne, through Meerpahl & Meyer. It is renamed in M/V
"Runner". Like the M/V "Dealer" (deadweight 2.200 tons), bought by
the shipowner Strahlmann in Marne in February of the same year, the
M/V "Runner" is managed by Meerpahl & Meyer.
In February
2002, three units of the Briese group in Leer are taken into the
company's management. The ships belong to the series type "Ryn" of the
Komano yard with 3.700 tons deadweight. All ships were built between
1995 and 1996.
On 11th
February, 2002, the shipowner Jürgen Stahmer KG, Buxtehude, buys the
M/V "Norderfeld" (deadweight 3.200 tons) from the shipowner Hermann
Barr, Brake, through Meerpahl & Meyer. The ship is renamed in "Anna
Marie".
In 2002, the
biggest ship that ever called at the port of Rostock is dispatched by
the branch in Rostock. It is the M/V "Etoile" with 123.000 tons
deadweight, which loads a part cargo of 48000 tons of barley for a
French account.
In June
2002, the M/V "Marinus Green" (deadweight 17.500 tons) takes 20
Diesel locomotives from Greece to Wismar. The chartering and the
dispatch of the cargo are in the hands of the company Meerpahl &
Meyer. The locomotives belong to the legendary series V 2000 that
was exported from Germany to Greece some years ago and now returns.
The M/V
"Navigator" (deadweight 2.500 tons) of the German shipowner von Rönn,
Krautsand, is managed by the company from the 13th October, 2002.
Through
Meerpahl & Meyer, the M/V "Niederelbe" (type "110", Sietas yard) of
the shipowner Raap, Drochtersen, is sold to the shipowner Erwin
Strahlmann, Marne. The delivery takes place at the end of November,
2002.
On 2nd
December, 2002, there is a cargo explosion on the M/V "Sierksdorf" in
the port of Aalborg. The ship is damaged terribly and sinks aground.
Unfortunately, it has to be declared as a "constructive loss". Four
seamen are taken to hospital with injuries on the drumskin and different
burnings. One seaman suffers a fracture. After a hospital stay of
several weeks, all seamen are in good health again.
The company
´s activities in the chartering field (especially shipmanagement and
management) rise continuously until today. The fleet at the
chartering pool amounts to 46 coastal ships between 2.200 and 4.500
tons deadweight. The company owns five of these ships and manages 41
of them.
On 01st
November, 2004, the company opens its branch offices in szczecin and
gdansk/gdynia respectively. From now on a full agency service in all
major polish ports can be offered.
The company
Meerpahl & Meyer GmbH has distinguished itself specifically by its
reliability and its flexibility throughout its 25 years of
existence.
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