Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM), member of the Columbia Group, is strengthening its presence in Northern Europe by establishing CSM Northern Europe, offering a more dedicated service to its clients north of the Mediterranean.

The move, which is the result of a Columbia Group wide audit looking at the next 10 years of growth, also sees the establishment of CSM Norway in Oslo, which will cater to the specific needs of the growing number of clients in Norway, offering its whole suite of services including full technical and crew management.

A client-facing office, the Norwegian office is the first step in CSM Northern Europe’s aim to have satellite offices around the northern European hub of Hamburg.

Leading the operations in Norway and Northern Europe is Johann Meyer, Managing Director of CSM Germany and Northern Europe.

“Our aim is to bring our expertise and services closer to our clients in Northern Europe by establishing a local presence in a number of areas such as Norway,” he explained.

“Building relationships and trust is vital in any business and by having dedicated CSM representatives on the ground, we can cater to their various needs, whether they are managing tankers, containerships, cruise ships or offshore vessels.”

The establishment of CSM Northern Europe will also allow Columbia Shipmanagement to expand on its rapidly expanding offshore business, CSM Energy, with the main hub for this also in Hamburg. From here it plans to build on its market in Norway and northern Germany, offering third party ship management and associated services in the offshore, recycling, LNG and renewable energy markets.

With the roll-out of CSM Norway, other locations will follow, with CSM looking to expand in areas where it can be closer to its growing markets.

Mark O’Neil, President and CEO, the Columbia Group, commented: “We want to be at the heart of the areas we serve, so we can be confident we are meeting the needs of our clients. The whole ethos of Columbia Shipmanagement is about forming partnerships and maintaining them. We look forward to working much more closely with our partners in Northern Europe.”