Ship managers OSM and Thome agree to merge

(Posted on 23/01/23)

OSM Maritime Group and Thome Group have agreed to a merger of the two companies. By joining forces, the companies will be building an even stronger platform on which they will continue to deliver world-class ship management services to their customers and continue to improve. The combined company will be named OSM Thome.

“By joining our resources in OSM Thome, we will become an even better partner to our customers. With our emphasis on safe and efficient operations as well as innovation, our ambition is to make the combined company even more relevant and attractive to customers, employees, and seafarers. Our companies are a good match in terms of expertise and capacity, and we share a common agenda on important areas such as digitalisation, cyber security and green shipping,” says Finn Amund Norbye, Group CEO of OSM Maritime Group.

Both OSM Maritime and Thome are deeply rooted in the Norwegian shipping tradition and expertise, and they combine this with the modern drive of Asian business enterprise. The headquarters of the combined company will be located in Arendal, Norway, with strong technical management hubs maintained in Singapore and Europe.

“Together, the two companies have a total of 32,000 employees, whereof 2,000 onshore in 22 countries, representing a diversity of expertise and experience. It is the people that enable us to deliver top quality and sustainable solutions to our customers. We operate across all the world's oceans, and the efforts of our 30,000 seafarers are key for the position we have gained within international shipping,” says Olav Nortun, Group CEO of Thome Group.

Today, the two companies manage 1,000 ships, whereof 450 ships on full technical management, and have 550 ships on crew management. Many of the world’s leading shipping companies are customers of OSM and Thome, and the fleet consists of different segments such as tank, bulk, container, car carriers, cruise ships and offshore vessels and units.

Completion of the merger of the two companies is conditional upon approval from competition authorities, which is anticipated during the first quarter of 2023. Until the merger has been formally approved, the two companies will operate as before, with separate management and organisations.

OSM Maritime’s CEO Finn Amund Norbye will assume the role as CEO for the merged OSM Thome, while Thome’s CEO, Olav Nortun, will take up the position of COO for the consolidated ship management activities. OSM founder Bjørn Tore Larsen will become Chairman of the new Board of Directors and Thome’s Claes Eek Thorstensen will be the Vice Chairman.