AP Moller-Maersk is ditching the Hamburg Sud and Sealand brands.
The Danish liner shipping giant described the move as part of its plan to create “a singular, unified brand”.
The decision means an end to the Hamburg Sud name. Maersk acquired the 152-year-old German company in late 2017.
It will also mean the disappearance of the Sealand brand, which operates in the Americas, Europe and Asia. The US-based liner operation was incorporated into the Maersk group in 1999.
The timeline for the changes has not been set and will depend on different geographies.
The decision comes at a pivotal moment for the Copenhagen-based company under new chief executive Vincent Clerc.
Last week, Maersk and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company announced that they would discontinue the 2M Alliance at the end of 2024.
Simplify
Besides Sealand and Hamburg Sud, Maersk plans to retire several other names, including the online booking portal Twill and recently acquired logistics companies such as Senator and LF Logistics.
In a statement to customers, Maersk said its goal was not to increase prices but to simplify its logistics offering.
“We are on a journey as the integrated end-to-end logistics partner, with the goal of bringing ease, flexibility and agility to your supply chains,” it said.
“Our multi-brand approach has served us well over the years and all our brands have been successful in meeting the needs of customers. However, we know that having multiple brands creates complexity for our customers.”
Non-integrated brands including Svitzer, APM Terminals and Maersk Container Industry operate under a different model and will remain under their existing names.
