Viking Life-Saving Equipment has raised the competitive stakes
in maritime safety by announcing a deal to acquire renowned
independent trading company Hygrapha.
Viking has agreed to acquire Hygrapha GmbH & Co. The
move sees the two former competitors joining forces to
strengthen capabilities, with a strong strategic presence in
Germany, where the deal will be a significant win for
shipowners looking for global safety solutions.
Viking CEO Henrik Uhd Christensen welcomes Hygrapha
to the Viking Group and believes the acquisition will have a
profound effect on Viking’s maritime safety solutions. “I see
this move as the perfect match of two highly complementary
players in the maritime industry. Viking, with its manufacturing
base and unique global safety network, and Hygrapha with its
in-depth knowledge of safety products and strong presence in
Asia and especially in the German market. Working together
expands our network and competencies, and is another step
in our strategy to be the one-stop shop for maritime safety
needs.”
Christensen also emphasizes the importance of the
acquisition for Viking’s overriding objective: “Saving and
protecting human lives all over the world — our mission in
life — quite literally requires us to constantly increase our
global presence to be closer to our customers and to provide
the broadest range of quality safety products and services.
The better we are at this, the more benefit we can bring.”
With an annual turnover in excess of €15 million and
some 35 employees globally, Hygrapha has grown to become
one of the largest independent trading suppliers of safety
products to the maritime industry.
Hygrapha’s president, Rüdiger Steinbach, is equally excited
by the agreement. “Both Hygrapha and Viking are widely
recognized as leaders in safety equipment. But Viking’s safety
network and global resources are second to none, offering us
new opportunities to expand our activities in Hamburg and
beyond. I look forward to developing the business together
and achieving new levels of growth.”
Steinbach will remain in the driver’s seat in the German
market, becoming Managing Director for Viking Germany and
contributing Hygrapha’s formidable expertise to expanding
the company’s platform for global trade activities.
Viking’s CEO is frank about his company’s ambitious plans
for the future: “We are a growing organization in a
competitive industry. In fact, growth is key to our continued
success and the industry should expect growth to continue in
the future. It’s good news for everyone – especially
shipowners looking for total safety solutions from the safety
experts.”