Ahrenkiel Steamship GmbH & Co. KG
Ahrenkiel Steamship increases container fleet
Ahrenkiel Steamship GmbH & Co. KG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Ahrenkiel Steamship increases container fleet Hamburg, 25 February 2015 – The Hamburg shipping group Ahrenkiel Steamship, a company of the Hamburg MPC Group, is to take on eight container vessels from the loan portfolio of HSH Nordbank as part of a portfolio transaction. An agreement to this effect has been reached between Ahrenkiel Steamship and the respective shipowners and HSH. The total value of the transaction is in the three-digit million US dollar range. The parties involved have agreed not to disclose the exact purchase prices of the vessels and the identities of the sellers. The portfolio is part of the financing project “Nautilus” of the HSH Nordbank and comprises of four 4,300 TEU, so called Baby-Panamax vessels as well as four feeder ships in the 1,300 to 2,500 TEU range. The average age of the vessels is around seven years. The first four ships have already been handed over to Ahrenkiel Steamship. Four more are due to follow in the coming weeks and months. “The acquisition of the eight vessels strengthens our position in the container market,” explained Constantin Baack, Managing Director of Ahrenkiel Steamship. “We expect to see growing consolidation in the shipping markets. We at Ahrenkiel Steamship have set ourselves the goal of actively participating in this phase and raising our competitiveness even further.” The transaction was structured and supported by MPC Capital, the MPC Group’s asset and investment manager. For the financing of the portfolio deal, MPC Capital was able to secure institutional investors to provide the bulk of the equity. Ahrenkiel Steamship itself is involved in the transaction as co-investor and ship manager. “The takeover of the vessel portfolio is further evidence of the successful cooperation between both financial and shipping experts under the umbrella of the MPC Group,” declared Dr Axel Schroeder, CEO of MPC Capital AG and Managing Partner of the MPC Group. “Thanks to our efficient platform, we are in a good position to offer institutional investors long-term added value. Specifically in stressed market segments, successful asset management is essentially about having a detailed knowledge of risks and seizing opportunities at the right moment.” About Ahrenkiel Steamship About MPC Capital AG Contact 2015-02-25 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP – a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de |
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