New player operating in Gothenburg: Ellerman sees APM Terminals Gothenburg as a long-term partner

Ellerman is a relatively new player with a well-known name, which has resurfaced to take its place and create new waves in the shipping industry. In just three years, they've succeeded in offering the market a direct line from APM Terminals Gothenburg to North America in cooperation with MSC, as well as several intra-European short-sea lines. Mathis Stöckmann, Operations Director at Ellerman City Liners, shares his thoughts on the new offering and the future of the short-sea market.

Ellerman’s journey started with a vision of offering state-of-the-art shipping with a strong focus on short sea. At the end of the year, they expanded their portfolio with a transatlantic direct line between APM Terminals Gothenburg and the USA, with their local partner Safe Shipping.

“Through the partnership with MSC, we can offer our customers broader coverage across both Europe and the US at advantageous prices, while reducing environmental impact through efficient use of existing capacity,” says Mathis Stöckmann.

“It's a real positive for us to establish ourselves at APM Terminals Gothenburg. With its proximity to the continent, well-developed rail network and position as Scandinavia’s largest port, we also see APM Terminals as a strategic partner for short-sea traffic.”

Alliances could be the future – even for short sea

The contract with MSC includes a fixed weekly volume, which Ellerman can increase if necessary. The cargo mainly consists of machinery, vehicles and car parts, and although Mathis Stöckmann points out that the transatlantic route entails some weather-related challenges, the new line has had a very positive reception from customers.

“Although our core business is short sea, we look forward to developing our transatlantic offering along with MSC. Alliances are an effective way to reduce emissions and put pressure on prices for sea freight, and at Ellerman we're open to similar cooperation on other routes we service.”

“We're delighted to welcome Ellerman to APM Terminals Gothenburg and thereby expand our offering for the Swedish market. At APM Terminals, we offer efficient handling for both direct and short-sea traffic, which creates good opportunities for expanded cooperation,” adds Brian Bitsch, Commercial Manager at APM Terminals Gothenburg.