Bunnemann brothers: Friedrich, left and Nicolaus are clearly expansion-minded
and are activelyseeking to build the company by acquisition.

Aug 10 Manager 2 Views 56 Likes

Germany: Nicolaus and Friedrich Bunnemann

Brothers' stars are in the ascendant within the German shipping firmament after the Dauelsberg empire was split between family members

HAD this list been published 18 months ago, the Bunnemanns may not have secured a place on it, as their 158-year-old Bremen-based family company Herm Dauelsberg is not generally regarded as among the biggest names in the German shipping firmament.

However, their stars are seen as being in the ascendant as part of the shake-up that resulted after Dauelsberg was divided up last year between fourth-generation family members Andreas and Klaus.

Klaus’s son Nicolaus is now managing director of Atlantic Lloyd, which owns four boxships and two tankers as a result of the split.

His CV includes the obligatory year at Cass Business School, studying for a master's degree in shipping, trade and finance, and a relatively brief stint at Rickmers Maritime.

Atlantic Lloyd and Asiatic Lloyd, Friedrich’s Singapore company that was founded in 2008, retain chartering of Dauelsberg’s five boxships and two panamax tankers.

According to its website, the Asiatic/Atlantic Lloyd group of companies as a whole owns and manages post-panamax bulk carriers and boxships in the 1,000 teu-9,000 teu bracket.

Activities include technical management, crewing, asset management and project development, and there is a shipbroking arm responsible for chartering and sales and purchase.

The brothers are clearly expansion-minded, with reports that they have picked up something like 20 vessels at distressed prices, and are actively seeking to build the company by acquisition.

Their freedom to move is enhanced by the fact that they are unencumbered by previous family involvement with the troubled KG system.

A senior German ship finance figure confirmed their profile in the Hamburg shipping community is growing. He commented: “They have significant private wealth, are among the most active players, and would for sure be included on the list of younger Germans shaping the future of the industry.”