The Japanese headquartered Marubeni Corporation (Marubeni) has reached an agreement to invest in the open hatch ship operator Gearbulk Holding AG (Gearbulk), headquartered in Switzerland.
Gearbulk will become an equity-method affiliate of Marubeni after this investment which will be executed upon the fulfillment of certain preconditions, as the company informs.
Gearbulk has since its foundation in 1968, been specialized in the operation of open-hatch vessels with a focus on the transportation of semi-finished products such as pulp and steel.
As Shipping Telegraph reported on January 20, 2025, Gearbulk has at that date become a consolidated subsidiary company of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL).
Marubeni has through its Singapore-based subsidiary MMSL Pte Ltd (MMSL) been engaged in the vessel ownership business for many years and has built a partnership with Gearbulk through over 20 years of chartering and leasing transactions.
Marubeni states that with this investment it aims to contribute to the sustainable enhancement of Gearbulk’s corporate value by providing Gearbulk with Marubeni’s vessel ownership capabilities and global network.
