HCI Capital AG acquires Ernst Russ GmbH & Co.KG
- Acquisition of the long-established shipping company Ernst Russ GmbH & Co. KG by HCI Capital AG
- HCI Group strengthens its position in international shipping
- Fleet under management and maritime services portfolio expanded
Hamburg, 21 April 2016 - HCI Capital AG is to take over the long-established, Hamburg-based shipping company Ernst Russ GmbH & Co. KG. The HCI Group acquired a majority shareholding in the König & Cie. Group in early 2016 and is now expanding its managed fleet once again, as well as strengthening its maritime services segment. This is another strategic step towards positioning HCI as an asset and investment manager with a maritime focus.
Ernst Russ GmbH & Co. KG is one of the oldest shipping companies in Hamburg. It was founded in 1893 and is well known internationally. The company manages a fleet of seven container and four RoRo vessels and has investments in a number of companies. They include CombiTrade GmbH, an international shipyard agency, and an investment in the broking house Ernst Russ Shipbroker GmbH & Co. KG. The acquisition of Ernst Russ GmbH & Co. KG now means the HCI Group has more than 40 ships under direct management and over 180 fund vessels managed by other shipping partners. Ernst Russ Shipbroker GmbH & Co. KG will strengthen its service portfolio in the brokerage segment and CombiTrade GmbH will give the Group privileged access to a large network of shipyards.
Jens Mahnke, Executive Board member at HCI Capital AG: "The acquisition of Ernst Russ GmbH & Co. KG expands our managed fleet, completes our range of maritime services and underlines the consistency with which we are pursuing our strategy. The name Ernst Russ stands internationally for maritime tradition, quality and responsibility. It is in the same spirit that we lead the HCI Group through difficult markets to commercial success. That makes us proud."
The acquisition of Ernst Russ GmbH & Co. KG is taking place by means of a capital contribution in kind, which will increase the share capital of HCI Capital AG by €6,225,000 to €32,434,030. KPMG, Deloitte and TaylorWessing advised on the transaction.