J. Johannsen & Son from Lübeck Celebrates 125 Years of Existence

The Lübeck towing company J. Johannsen & Son is celebrating its 125th anniversary in these weeks. Founded in 1896, company founder and captain Joachim Johannsen started by unloading goods from moored sailing ships along the Trave with specially acquired Ewern. Together with his son Eduard, the Johannsen family also began with the first ship assistances and tows along the Trave between the mouth and the city harbor of Lübeck.

(PresseBox; Lübeck) This is how it began, but after the tragic death of Eduard, who fell at the very beginning of World War I, his brother Dr. Otto Johannsen took over in 1925 and ran the business until his death in 1961. Daughter Jutta Johannsen supported him even before his death and was among the first to switch from steam to the first motor tugs, ahead of the competition. After her early death in 1973, her sister Mechthild’s son Claus Schaefer took over in the 4th generation. The towing company evolved into a broader maritime service provider, including sea tows, a mooring service, lighters and barges for offshore oil transport, as well as offshore supply for drilling platforms in the Baltic Sea.

In 1990, J. Johannsen & Son built the first ASD Schottel tugboat named AXEL at the Hitzler shipyard, which was the first of its kind used in Germany, with an exceptionally high bollard pull of 42 tons. AXEL remains technically up-to-date after 31 years and is very popular with customers due to its versatility.

Since 2007, Michael Schaefer has successfully continued the business of his great-great-grandfather. Even in very challenging times for the towing assistance business, J. Johannsen & Son is still fully operational and has recently expanded its fleet with new additions in 2017 and 2018. While many smaller and medium-sized towing companies have had to exit the market, Johannsen is still well-positioned today.

Continuous Business Expansion

In addition to towing services and mooring in various ports, the company has maintained a port operation for about 8 years with various RoRo, StoRo, and project cargo handling and also offers comprehensive lashing services on board numerous ferries in the Lübeck ports.

Recently, in 2020, when the Johannsen Group also felt the negative impacts of the Corona crisis, it became very clear where the journey should go:

With the new subsidiary, the Jade Dienst GmbH from Wilhelmshaven, which was largely acquired in January 2020, another multi-player has been integrated into the company. In addition to mooring services, a wide range of other services in the areas of transport and handling, unloading and supply at terminals, as well as in the repair sector, machinery, and steel construction can be offered. With its own repair halls, quay facilities, and now approximately 38,000 m² of storage space in the inner harbor of Wilhelmshaven, the partners are preparing for project cargo and offshore outfitting. Additionally, a permanent handling of cars and a scheduled service for export to the south, initiated with partners from Jade Car Logistics, has been successfully running for over a year.

Startup for Information Processing in Ship Calls

Other topics of the Johannsen Group include a software startup to support digital information processing in ship calls at ports, as well as the integration of a consulting hub into the Johannsen Group for maritime safety and technical issues. While the software company Sleipner GmbH, in which the Johannsen Group holds shares, has realized its market entry in recent weeks, Johannsen was able to sign a consulting contract with the builder of the Fehmarnbelt crossing, Femern AS, in the summer, concerning the technical realization of the construction port in Puttgarden and the overall safety concept at the sea construction site.

“All in all, we have developed multifunctionally and are always looking for synergistic additions in these business areas. We still have so many ideas and look forward to the next 125 years!” said Michael Schaefer, who is particularly focused on the emerging megatrends in shipping. Over 180 employees at a total of 5 locations now ensure effective throughput and high-quality services. The revenue of the small group of companies has increased by about 150% in the last 2 years.

Acknowledgment of Employee Contributions

Michael Schaefer: “Our motivated employees at all operational levels have a very large share in our older as well as our youngest history. They, along with our very loyal customers, deserve great thanks. Due to the current crisis situation, we have temporarily and with a heavy heart foregone a dignified celebration in honor of all those involved. There is certainly a great need to make up for this, which we want to satisfy next year.”

Photo: © J. Johannsen & Son