Century-long legacy within the shipping industry

Opening of commercial office in Poland to support the growing dry cargo activities in the Continent/Baltic.

A record high net result from Lauritzen Bulkers' core dry bulk business of USD 102.5 million before tax and unrealised hedging. 

Net result of USD 91 million before tax and unrealised hedging.

Lauritzen Bulkers completed its strategic transition journey to establish a data driven trading platform combined with asset management.

Opening of commercial office in Dubai to support the growing dry cargo activities in Middle East Gulf and Indian Ocean.

Opening of commerical office in Hong Kong.

In April 2019 J. Lauritzen celebrated 135 years of ocean transport.

Lauritzen Bulkers received the “Bulk ship operator of the year” award at the International Bulk Journal’s "IBJ Awards 2011".

A collaboration with ‘Lab on board’ took place (on two ships) for fuel and exhaust gas testing purposes. The system was presented at COP 15.

Newbuilding programme initiated, primarily in the handysize segment.

Opening of commercial office in Singapore to support the growing dry cargo activities in Asia.

Opening of commercial office in Melbourne, Australia (re-located to Singapore in 2005).

Handysize bulk carriers equipped with grabs for self-loading and/or discharging increasingly became the preferred vessel type at Lauritzen Bulkers.

Lauritzen Bulkers controlled about 25 bulk carriers, some of which were owned by the company and the remaining were operated via time-charter.

Lauritzen Bulkers became the brand name for J. Lauritzen's bulk carrier activities.

Branch office opened in Tokyo opened, strengthening business relationships with trading houses, tonnage providers and shipyards.

Opening of commercial office in New York facilitated closer contact with large chartering firms and cargo shippers.

J. Lauritzen became an active bulk carrier operator through time-charter of three 15,000 dwt bulk carriers.

The first bulk carrier newbuilding was contracted at Verolme Cork Dockyard, Ltd., Ireland for delivery in 1976. The 69,600 dwt bulk carrier was the biggest dry cargo ship in the Danish merchant fleet at the time. 

J. Lauritzen enters the dedicated bulk carrier industry with the purchase of a 15,574 dwt bulk carrier, named ’Silja Dan’.

‘Helga Dan’ became the first shipping vessel in history to force its way through the ice masses in the St. Lawrence River up to Quebec during the winter. Cargo shipping activities in Canada grew rapidly during the following years. J. Lauritzen opened an office in Montreal in 1977 to support expansion in the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

In order to make ships more visible in icy waters, the hull of Kista Dan was painted red in 1955 and shortly after the remaining fleet followed and were painted in the red color that today still symbolizes all Lauritzen vessels.

18 ice-strengthened new vessels were delivered to serve the dry cargo operations in Finland, Canada and Greenland

Lauritzen Fonden was established by brothers, Ivar and Knud Lauritzen and their sister Anna Lønberg-Holm in 1945. The establishment of Lauritzen Fonden marked the 50th anniversary of the “Dampskibsselskabet Vesterhavet”, the shipping company founded by their father Ditlev Lauritzen. 

In the early 1920’s J. Lauritzen became engaged in sea transport of wood-pulp from Finland to ports in the United Kingdom and the Continent often with coal as backhaul cargo.

By 1914 the fleet had grown to 26 vessels and Ditlev Lauritzen moves the company and his family to Copenhagen.

By 1893 J. Lauritzen had already grown into a widespread merchant business

J. Lauritzen was founded in 1884 by Ditlev Lauritzen. At the age of 24 he started the company in his father’s name in Esbjerg, Denmark.