Atlantic Container Line
The shipping company Atlantic Container Line (ACL ), headquartered in Westfield, New Jersey operates a container and ro-ro service between Europe and the North American east coast.
History
Foundation and development
The joint venture was established in 1965 Atlantic Container Line in Stockholm Olof Wallenius for the construction of a container liner service between Europe and the North American East Coast ( USA / Canada ) to life. The background to this development were the world's fast-growing long-distance container transport, which competitors such as the container pioneers Sea-Land Corporation or the also newly formed consortium Overseas Containers Limited to the break bulk liner services decreased big load shares. In order to gain a foothold in the then new container business without having to deal with the large investments involved for the new container ships alone, joined Wallenius Lines ( Rederi AB Soya ), the Swedish shipping companies Svenska America Linjen ( Broström ) and Rederi AB TransAtlantic ( RABT ) and the Holland- America Line from the Netherlands in a consortium together. The four partners gave shipping companies to build up their community service first four ships in order. 1966/67, joined the Cunard Line from Great Britain and the French Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT ) in the consortium, whereupon the Konsortialbeteiligung being shared among five units at 20% each, with Broström and Transatlantic a share split in half. The Cunard Line was also still involved in another consortium, the Associated Container Transportation ( ACT).
The commissioned in 1965 motor ships of the G1 series ( S-type ) were delivered in 1967 and could accommodate around 800 containers. Like all following ACL new buildings were these vessels to the then new type of ship ConRo ships (container roll on / roll off ) - they offered next to parking spaces for container space for vehicles - mostly cars - and trailers. The type of ship Atlantic tension took on 4 September 1967, the charging operation in Gothenburg and led the names a tradition that all ship names starting with "Atlantic ..... ". After the arrival of Cunard and CGT was moved the company's headquarters to Southampton and ordered six more, this time a little bigger and faster ships that were put into service 1969-1970. The six ships of the G2 series (C- Type) possessed a steam turbine drive and offered about 1200 containers and a large number of motor vehicles place. In all ten ships the ACL occurred, the time charterer, who rented the units of the member lines of the consortium.
Restructuring of the company
In the 1970s, there were several changes in the operation and in the ownership structure. Once back in the early 1970s with the route code ( Multimodal Information System ) and Data Freight Receipt ( a kind of electronic bills of lading) the first charge documentation systems were introduced, ACL began in the mid- 1970s on a larger scale with the computerization of the sea freight business. In 1974, the CGT merged with the Message Maritimes to Compagnie Générale Maritime ( CGM ), whereupon the CGM acquired the 20 % interest in the ACL. On January 1, 1975, the Holland- America Line withdrew from the consortium in order to devote himself entirely to the cruise business. The Svenska America Linjen took over the freight division of HAL and this led to the Dutch subsidiary Intercontinental Transport BV (ICT). At the same time the SAL took over the share of the Dutch to the ACL. The Svenska America Linjen in turn were dissolved in 1978 and the mother company Rederi AB Broström took over the ACL shares and ICT.
In 1976, the four ships of the G1 series were extended, bringing the container capacity increased to 1200 TEU also. In the same year ACL took over the shipping company Careline, which maintained a line to Montreal. 1978 increased to this service through the Mont Royal SAL, which was renamed in Atlantic Premier, the Montmorency Wallenius, which was incorporated as Atlantic Prelude and by two chartered ro-ro newbuildings Stena Line, the Atlantic Prosper and Atlantic Project. In 1982, however, ended the Montreal service again. Also in 1982 overtook the shipping company a sad loss. The Atlantic Conveyor was chartered during the Falklands War by the Royal Navy. This was possible because the ship had been introduced in 1970 by the Cunard Line in the ACL consortium and sailed under the British flag. As the ship from the Falkland Islands was in position, it was hit by an Exocet missile of an Argentine fighter, caught fire and sank a few days later.
Rebuilding the fleet
In the early 1980s began the consortium with planning for a new generation of ships to the first two series of ships - to replace - especially the turbine-powered ships of the G2 series with its high fuel costs. We finally gave up five much larger new buildings for delivery in 1984 in order. In 1983, Broström sold half of the shares of its Dutch subsidiary, which later Incotrans emerged. This sale and construction contracts for the new ships provided the incentive for the redivision of the ACL and the ownership of the units of the G1 series. Wallenius, Cunard, CGM and SAL / Incotrans each received 22.22% of the ACL ( the proportions of SAL and Incotrans again were divided into 17.22% and 5%), Transatlantic was 11.11%. Cunard took over the Atlantic Star, the Atlantic CGM chip ( which was renamed the French flag in Atlantic Service ) and Transatlantic took over part of the Atlantic Saga.
Between 1984 and 1985, Atlantic Container Line and the third generation of its RoRo container ships in service, the five units of the G3 series (C2 - type). The ships of this type could take up container 2140 and 1000 cars. Following the acquisition of new vessels less than twenty years old turbine ships of the G2 series were sold for demolition. Accompanying took over the Rederi AB TransAtlantic ( RABT ) 1985, the Broström group and thus their share of ACL. Already in 1987, the five most new ships have been enlarged, making their container capacity could be increased to 3100 TEUs ( G3L series). In addition, ACL began a collaboration with Hapag -Lloyd, after which the ships of the first generation could be scrapped. An outward sign of cooperation with the Hamburg shipping company was to rename the units Atlantic Companion and Atlantic Concert in Concert Companion Express and Express. In 1989, RABT also the Wallenius share of the ACL. 1992 ACL agreed to cooperate with the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC ), according to the ACL retired with their own ships from the U.S. West Coast and instead took additional slots on MSC ships. In 1994, the two vice dubbed "Express" ships were given back their old names, but the slot - chartering agreement with Hapag -Lloyd remained in force.
Other change of ownership structure
In the years 1995 and 1996 ACL ended the chartering of British and French ships registered and Rederi AB Transatlantic bought this at Cunard and the Compagnie Générale Maritime, which was now the sole owner of this company. The Atlantic Conveyor and Atlantic Cartier were brought under Bahamian flag but leave the remaining three Swedish flag. ACL moved its headquarters from Southampton to South Plainfield ( United States) and the name was changed to Atlantic Container Line AB, so that the shipping company shares were traded on the Swedish stock exchange.
2000 was the Italian Grimaldi Group ( Grimaldi Lines ) with 44 per cent majority shareholder, increasing this share to 81 percent and later to 91 percent currently. Grimaldi Lines is the world's largest operator of RoRo container ships and its market position in the transatlantic business continued to improve significantly through the acquisition of ACL. The ACL services have since been coordinated with those of Grimaldi Lines.