Our history
A.P. Moller - Maersk has a storied past, and we are proud of our long history. Our history is part of our platform for future success and thus intimately linked to our present activities and future goals.
1904: The company is established
Dampskibsselskabet Svendborg (The Steamship Company Svendborg) was established 16 April 1904 in the town of Svendborg. The company, the forerunner for todays A. P. Moller - Maersk, was initiated by A.P. Møller together with his father Peter Mærsk Møller. Despite initial difficulties, they managed to raise enough capital to purchase a second-hand steamer on 6 October 1904. They named the ship SVENDBORG after its hometown and the owning company.

1912: A.P. Møller establishes another shipping company

1918: A.P. Møller’s shipyard

1919: First office abroad

1928: First Route

1940: The occupation of Denmark

1955: The Maersk blue

1962: Concession in Denmark

1962 – Formation of the Danish Underground Consortium (DUC)

1965: A.P. Møller passed away

1967 – Maersk Supply Service was established

1972 – The first Danish oil

1975: Container vessels

1977: Consolidation of Cargo

1979: Svitzer acquired by Maersk

1979: Move to Esplanaden

1991: MCI is established

1993: Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller steps down

1993: Acquisition of the EACBen Container Line

2001: APM Terminals established

2003: New Name: A. P. Møller - Mærsk A/S

2003: Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller resigns as chairman

2005: The P&O Nedlloyd acquisition

2006: EMMA MÆRSK – a world record

2007: Change of CEO of A.P. Moller - Maersk

2009: Merger of logistics brands

2012: Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller passed away

2013: The first Triple-E ultra large container ship

2015: APM Terminals Maasvlakte II

2016: New CEO of A.P. Moller - Maersk

2016: Global integrator of container logistics

2017: New chairman of the Board of Directors

2017: Sale of Maersk Tankers
In September 2017, A.P. Moller – Maersk entered into an agreement to sell the shares in Maersk Tankers to APMH Invest, a 100% owned subsidiary of A.P. Møller Holding A/S, the controlling shareholder of A.P. Moller - Maersk.
Maersk Tankers was founded in 1928, when the first five tankers entered the Maersk fleet. A.P. Møller had become aware of this new business opportunity when demand for oil products increased during early 1920s and in 1927 he put in an order for five new-built tankers. The transportation of crude oil was our main business during the period 1950-1975.

2017: Acquisition of Hamburg Süd

2018: Sale of Maersk Oil
A.P. Moller – Maersk’s engagement in the oil and gas industry began when A.P. Møller and the company were granted sole concession for exploration and extraction of raw materials from the Danish underground in 1962.

2019: Maersk Drilling listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen
Maersk Drilling had been established in 1972 with the purpose of owning and operating rigs for companies with interests in oil exploration.

Further Reading:
- Ove Hornby, ”With Constant Care…” A.P. Møller: Shipowner 1876-1965 (J.H. Schultz Information, 1988)
- Chris Jephson & Henning Morgen, Creating Global Opportunities. Maersk Line in Containerisation 1973-2013 (Cambridge University Press, 2014)
Photo credits:
Photographs not credited are from the A.P. Møller - Mærsk archives, from private collections or of unknown origin.