Ellerman Strengthens Northern Europe Coverage Through Viasea Shipping Takeover

Ellerman City Liners, part of GB Global, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Viasea Shipping from ColliCare Holding AS. Viasea, a Norwegian-owned shortsea operator, is renowned for its reliable, sustainable, and customer-focused services across Northern Europe. This strategic move unites two niche players in the shipping industry, combining complementary strengths to deliver seamless end-to-end shipping logistics solutions as one partnership.

Founded in 2016, Viasea has established itself as a challenger in the shortsea market, operating regular schedules between the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, and Lithuania. With offices in Moss, Rotterdam, Gdynia, Klaipeda, and Immingham, Viasea offers a flexible and agile organisation, direct customer engagement, and environmentally-friendly alternatives to road freight.

Ellerman City Liners, with its legacy of excellence in UK shipping and supply chain logistics, sees this acquisition as a key step in expanding its shortsea footprint and enhancing service resilience in challenging maritime conditions.

Iain Liddell, Founder & Managing Director of GB Global, commented:

“This acquisition isn’t just about growth, it’s about redefining shortsea shipping for the future. By combining Ellerman’s UK expertise with Viasea’s agile operational shortsea footprint and sustainable solutions, we’re building an extensive European network that delivers speed, reliability, and greener solutions for customers across Europe. Together, we have an exciting opportunity to push boundaries and create superior value for our customers”.

Knut Sollund, CEO ColliCare Holding AS shared:

The vision behind Viasea was to move cargo flows from the roads over to the sea. After only a couple of years in operation, Viasea became one of the largest customers in the port of Oslo. After 9 years of continuous growth it was the right step for Viasea to seek for a bigger environment. Within the GB Global family, Viasea will have great opportunities to continue on the path of moving even more cargo from the roads over to the waterways.  

The acquisition will deliver:

• Expanded shortsea coverage across key European ports

• Green alternative transport solutions to reduce road freight dependency

• Flexible, customer-centric operations

• Enhanced schedule reliability and service integration

• Integrated rail services linking Poland, Hungary, and Romania, supporting multimodal logistics and deeper inland connectivity

  
  

  As part of GB Global, Ellerman City Liners and Viasea will leverage the group’s vast global resources, cutting-edge services, and industry expertise to accelerate innovation and growth. This acquisition reinforces Ellerman’s position within GB Global’s worldwide network and unlocks new opportunities for customers.

Key benefits include:

• Global Reach: Access to GB Global’s presence, enabling expansion into new markets and improved customer service worldwide.

• Accelerated Innovation: Increased investment in R&D, talent, infrastructure, and strategic initiatives to drive faster innovation cycles.

• Optimised Operations: Streamlined supply chain, logistics, and purchasing power through GB Global’s world-class capabilities and economies of scale.

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Original article

Image source: ellermanlines.com