History of the Harren & Partner Group
2009 – 20 years of the Harren & Partner Group
The Harren & Partner Group celebrates 20 years of success this year, which is positive proof that Peter Harren had and continues to have the right idea: diversification as a key factor to success. Currently with around 1,800 employees aboard and 145 ashore, we can look optimistically to the future and continue our trusting collaboration with our business partners.
2009 – Joint venture “OIG Offshore Installation Group”
Established together with Norwegian partners, the “OIG Offshore Installation Group” specialises in deep-sea installations and mooring systems for FPSO (Floating Production Storage & Offloading) and thus opens the door to the offshore industry.
2009 – Harren & Partner expands its fleet to 50 vessels
The 50th vessel in the Harren & Partner fleet, the chemical tanker “PATANI”, is delivered by the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai.
2009 – Imke Harren joins the family business
Business graduate Imke Harren, Peter Harren’s daughter, joins the company as his assistant, taking over internal corporate communications.
2008 – The first dock ship “COMBI DOCK I” is handed over
A new chapter is written in the innovative history of Harren & Partner when the “COMBI DOCK I” is handed over by the Lloyd shipyard in Bremerhaven. The special tonnage developed in cooperation with K/S Combi Lift will remain something of a novelty for years to come, as this is the first ship to combine the functions of a dock ship with those of a ro-ro and heavy lift vessel.
2008 – CONDOCK Befrachtungs-Gesellschaft joins the Harren & Partner Group
The well-established Hamburg company “CONDOCK Befrachtungs-Gesellschaft” is purchased. Besides gaining extensive chartering expertise, the Harren & Partner Group also acquire four dock ships, adding another exciting segment to the existing fleet.
2007 – H&P Logistics & Engineering is founded
To meet the growing demand for tailor-made transport solutions for complex heavy lift and project cargo, logistics solutions specialist H&P Logistics & Engineering is founded under the direction of Heiko Felderhoff.
2007 – Launch of an electronic planned maintenance system
In order to ensure proper and precise supply and maintenance of the fleet, an electronic planned maintenance system is launched. This system is initially implemented internally on a test basis on board the eight tankers before going fleet-wide.
2007 – Harren & Partner’s office building extension is completed
The building extension trebles capacity to a good 4,750 qm², allowing room for a spacious bistro and apartments for captains and officers, who are informed personally about matters such as the latest developments in safety standards.
2006 – The MY “HANSE EXPLORER” is commissioned
As a unique combination of explorer yacht for up to 12 passengers and training ship for 12 cadets (m/f), the MY “HANSE EXPLORER” sails to exotic locations such as the Amazon or the Antarctic. Since going into service, nautical and technical sailors as well as ship’s cooks and stewards are trained on board.
2003 – Dr. Martin Harren joins the shipping group
Dr. Martin Harren, Peter Harren’s son, joins the group. He is responsible for the strategic direction of Fund Conception and Ship Financing and develops business accounting for the individual shipping companies.
2002 – The joint venture trans-Mar-supply is established
In order to take advantage of the synergies of a large fleet, the shipping companies Jüngerhans and Harren & Partner establish the purchasing cooperation trans-Mar-supply. Under the direction of graduate engineer Wolfgang Volkens, the company now organises all strategic and operative purchasing activities for around 100 vessels, leading to a significant reduction in operating costs.
2002 – Safety & Quality Management is created
Safety & Quality Management is established to ensure the safety and quality of the fleet and its crew and the environment. All vessels belonging to the Harren & Partner Group are certified according to ISM Code requirements and ISPS safety standards.
2002 – Entry onto the tanker market
Harren & Partner stays true to its development strategy and branches out into another ship segment. The acquisition of the chemical tankers “Sichem Padua” and “Sichem Pandora” from the Norwegian shipping company Tschudi + Eitzen sees the integration of the first tankers into the fleet. In order to meet the high standards of a modern fleet, a series of eight state-of-the-art chemical tankers are ordered from the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai.
2001 – Brigitta Harren joins the shipping group
Peter Harren and wife Anna get further family support when solicitor Brigitta Harren joins her father’s company and takes over the legal department and the personnel department for employees on shore.
2001 – Company restructuring
In order to ensure optimum management of the highly diversified fleet in future, too, all departments related to operative ship management are restructured. A respective team of operators, purchasers and technical inspectors is set up to handle the specific requirements of “their” segment – be it heavy lift carriers, dock ships, tankers, bulkers or container feeder vessels.
2000 – The joint venture K/S Combi Lift is established
Following a long and trusting collaboration with the Danish shipping company J. Poulsen Shipping in the area of heavy lift cargo shipping, the joint venture K/S Combi Lift is set up to conquer the heavy lift and project market.
2000 – Relocation to own office building in the Oberneuland Office Park
Not only the fleet has expanded in the first ten years; staff numbers have also continued to rise, forcing Harren & Partner to vacate its offices in Universitätsallee and relocate to the newly built office building in the Oberneuland Office Park.
1999 – The joint venture Caribbean Feeder Services Ltd. (CFS) is set up
In response to expired charter contracts and a lack of alternatives in the Caribbean, Peter Harren wastes no time in branching out: the joint venture CFS is set up together with partners from the USA and Jamaica. Now transporting approx. 300,000 TEU per year, CFS is the largest independent feeder service in the Caribbean.
1999 – Bulk carriers are added to fleet
Currently comprising around 20 vessels, the expanded fleet reaches a new high with the acquisition of the biggest units to date, the two approx. 70,000 tdw Panamax bulk carriers “PAIUTE” and “PEORIA”.
1998 – Apprenticeship begins at Harren & Partner
The successful development of the company enables Peter Harren and his team to start offering apprentices a diversified and instructive working environment. The first two trainees in the Harren & Partner Group start their apprenticeship to become shipping and chartering managers.
1998 – Number of limited partners of H&P funds rises to over 1,000 investors
A reliable and lucrative fleet convinces more and more investors of the profitability of H&P funds, increasing the number of limited partners of Harren & Partner to over 1,000 investors.
1997/98 – Four multipurpose carriers are put into service
The fleet is diversified and expanded with the commissioning of the four sister ships “ULTRAMAR”, “TRANSMAR”, “SOLYMAR” and “PARAMAR”, a combination of mini-bulker and multipurpose cargo ship. The foundations for the key motto of the Harren & Partner Group are laid: diversification as a key factor to success.
1996 – Harren & Partner orders the first heavy lift carrier
It’s already clear that Peter Harren has no intention of limiting activities to just one segment: the building contract for the MV “PALAMOS”, a heavy lift carrier with roll-on/roll-off stern ramp, goes to the Peene-Werft shipyard and sets the course for a multifunctional fleet.
1993 – Building contract for the first container feeder vessel
The Estaleiros Navais de Viana do Castelo shipyard in Portugal is requested to build the first container feeder vessel. The 398 TEU vessel goes into service in 1994 under the name “PARANGA”.
1992 – The first two newbuilds are commissioned
The successful operation of the MV “ORION III” enables the first two newbuilds MV “PADUA” and MV “PANDORA” to be put into service – two 3,600 tdw multi-purpose carriers.
1989 – The Harren & Partner Group is born
After 12 years at sea and completing a degree in business studies at Hamburg University, captain and business graduate Peter Harren has extensive experience both at sea and on land and sets up his own shipping company in 1989. The success story of Harren & Partner begins with the acquisition of the MV “ORION III”.
