NORDEN celebrates 150th anniversary

(Posted on 11/02/21)

Today, NORDEN celebrates its 150^th anniversary, being one of the world’s oldest international shipping companies.

Over its 150-year history, NORDEN has been through several transformations in response to the changing world of global trade. From a small Danish steamship owner, it has become a leading global player in the dry cargo and product tanker markets, with offices in 11 countries across six continents.

Today, NORDEN operates from an asset-light business foundation split into short-term operator activities and longer-term asset trading – having evolved from the traditional ship-owner model.

“Unlike the shipping company of 1871, our primary value driver today at NORDEN is not ships, but a business powered by people, data and customer relationships,” said Jan Rindbo, CEO, NORDEN.

“But where we have stayed true to our founder’s legacy is in our quest for innovation and our reliability as a good business partner, attuned to our customers’ needs.”

Throughout 2021, NORDEN will be marking its 150-year anniversary with events and stories on past and present transformations, also described in the NORDEN biography “The NORDEN Voyage” (Danish version “NORDEN Rundt” by Lindhardt & Ringhof).

While NORDEN has survived many highs and lows in the shipping industry over the past century and a half by being able to adapt its business to new realities, the opportunities and challenges facing the company today require different kinds of innovation.

Among these, NORDEN will during 2021 share more on its sustainability efforts both in terms of decarbonisation, as well as how NORDEN prioritises the wellbeing of its employees. In connection with anniversary a new employee initiative ‘Moving Beyond 150’ will be launched today, addressing both physical and mental health of employees.