Global shipbroking group Affinity (Shipping) has hired six staff from Lorentzen & Co, which declared bankruptcy last week.
Affinity Dry, the group’s bulker-focused arm, will set up a new base in New York with ex-Lorentzen staff.
Nick Tangney will be managing director of the new office, alongside John Geoghegan, who is joining as director of business development, plus broker Bob Tangney.
“They will be bringing a new operations team in Greece with whom they have been working and which will ensure a seamless transfer and continuation of their business,” Hans Bredrup, head of Affinity’s dry-cargo business in the Americas, said in a LinkedIn update on Monday.
Operations staff Dimitra Zachariou, Fryne Dimitrakopoulou and Louisa Anastasopoulou will join Affinity’s Athens office from Lorentzen.
Lorentzen & Co declared bankruptcy on Wednesday last week after 104 years in business.
According to press reports, the company had been renamed Lilleaker Shipping Advisors in anticipation of a takeover by Tidships, which was owned until recently by sisters Caroline Figenschou Tidemand and Kristin Tidemand Eckhoff and their father, Otto. Eckhoff recently bought out her sister’s shares in the company.
Executive chairman Christian Andersen last week said Lorentzen & Co is looking to restructure or bring in new investors, and that customers could count on the organisation’s continued services.
Lorentzen & Co posted a loss every year but one from 2015 to 2021, according to earnings reports. The exception was 2017, when it filed a NOK 711,000 ($66,500) profit.
