Consolidation has become such a worn-out term, you almost shudder to speak it out. Still, how could you better phrase the developments in shipping during the past few years and probably for a few more to come? The third party ship management sector is no exception in this regards. It had its fair share of mergers & acquisitions over the years, led by market leader V. Group which swallowed two more competitors last year, one smaller (Selandia) and one bigger (Bibby Ship Management). The coming months are expected to see another significant merger which will have an impact on the competitive landscape in the sector: the planned integration of German-owned and Cyprus-headquartered players Columbia and Marlow. The former is among the largest service providers of full technical management services, the latter is a market leader in crewing but with aspirations as well in the technical management business. Talks between the two companies became public knowledge towards the end of 2016, prompting them to make an official announcement.
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