A.P. Moller - Maersk
Company History
Maersk History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1904 in Svendborg, Denmark
When was Maersk founded?
Maersk was founded in 1904 in Svendborg, Denmark by Arnold Peter Møller and Peter Mærsk Møller, making it 122 years old.
- Founded
- 1904
- Founding place
- Svendborg, Denmark
- Founders
- Arnold Peter Møller and Peter Mærsk Møller
- Headquarters today
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Milestones documented
- 12 (1904–2026)
- Current CEO
- Vincent Clerc
- Acquisitions
- 4
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1904 | Formation of A.P. Moller - Maersk |
| 1912 | Steamship Company of 1912 Founded |
| 1928 | Launch of Liner Services |
| 1973 | Embrace of the Containerization Revolution |
| 1999 | Acquisition of Sea-Land and Safmarine |
| 2017 | Sale of Maersk Oil to Total |
| 2017 | NotPetya Cyberattack and IT Rebuild |
| 2021 | Order of First Green Methanol Vessel |
| 2025 | FY2025 Revenue of $53.988 Billion |
| 2025 | Corporate Overhead Simplification Program |
| 2025 | Gemini Cooperation Begins |
| 2026 | Q2 2026 Results and Guidance Upgrade |
- Where was Maersk founded?
- Maersk was founded in Svendborg, Denmark in 1904. wikidata.org
- Who founded Maersk?
- Maersk was founded by Arnold Peter Møller and Peter Mærsk Møller.
- Where is Maersk headquartered?
- Maersk is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.
- When did Maersk start?
- Maersk was founded in 1904.
- How old is Maersk?
- Maersk is 122 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
The company traces back to 1904, when Peter Mærsk Møller and his son A.P. Møller set up Steamship Company Svendborg in Svendborg, Denmark, with the second-hand steamer S/S Laura. In 1912 A.P. Møller founded a second company, Steamship Company of 1912; the two were merged in 2003. Maersk Line moved into container shipping in the 1970s, and the 1999 purchase of Sea-Land made it the world's largest container carrier for many years.
Founders
Arnold Peter Møller
Arnold Peter (A.P.) Møller (1876-1965) co-founded Steamship Company Svendborg with his father in 1904 at age 28 and in 1912 set up Steamship Company of 1912 to expand with fewer board constraints. The two companies ran side by side for decades and merged in 2003 into A.P. Moller - Maersk A/S. He was known for conservative finances and strong cash reserves, and his motto "Constant Care" is still part of Maersk’s stated values. Arnold Peter Møller was born in 1876.
Peter Mærsk Møller
Peter Mærsk Møller (1836-1927) was a Danish sea captain from the island of Rømø who spent much of his career commanding ships. In 1904 he and his son A.P. Møller founded Steamship Company Svendborg, buying the second-hand steamer S/S Laura. The seven-pointed white star he flew on his ship later became the Maersk emblem. Peter Mærsk Møller was born in 1836.
Key Milestones
Formation of A.P. Moller - Maersk
Peter Mærsk Møller and his son Arnold Peter Møller found Steamship Company Svendborg in Svendborg, Denmark, buying the second-hand steamer S/S Laura.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSteamship Company of 1912 Founded
A.P. Møller founds Steamship Company of 1912 alongside the original company; the two companies later merge in 2003 to form A.P. Moller - Maersk A/S.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgLaunch of Liner Services
Maersk opens its first regular liner service, connecting the US East Coast with Asia via the Panama Canal, moving beyond tramp shipping.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgEmbrace of the Containerization Revolution
Maersk Line enters container shipping, ordering its first purpose-built container vessels and beginning the shift that made containers its core business.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquisition of Sea-Land and Safmarine
Maersk buys the international container business of US carrier Sea-Land and South Africa's Safmarine, making it the world's largest container carrier at the time.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSale of Maersk Oil to Total
Maersk agrees to sell Maersk Oil to Total for about $7.45 billion in shares and debt, part of the plan to separate the energy businesses and focus on transport and logistics.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNotPetya Cyberattack and IT Rebuild
The NotPetya malware attack shuts down Maersk's IT systems; the company later estimated the cost at $250-300 million and rebuilt its network.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgOrder of First Green Methanol Vessel
Maersk orders its first methanol-capable container vessels; the first, Laura Maersk, was named in Copenhagen in September 2023.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFY2025 Revenue of $53.988 Billion
Maersk reported $53.988 billion in revenue, $2.915 billion profit for the period, $9.530 billion EBITDA, and 107,638 employees.
Source: maersk.comCorporate Overhead Simplification Program
Management announced actions targeting $180 million in annual overhead savings, including about 1,000 corporate role closures.
Source: maersk.comGemini Cooperation Begins
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd launch the Gemini Cooperation ocean network in February 2025 after the 2M alliance with MSC ended.
Source: maersk.comQ2 2026 Results and Guidance Upgrade
Q2 2026 revenue rose 20% to $15.8 billion and EBIT reached $1.6 billion; underlying EBIT guidance for 2026 was raised to $4.5-6.5 billion.
Source: maersk.comMajor Acquisitions
LF Logistics
2022Contract logistics provider in Asia-Pacific, announced in December 2021 for about $3.6 billion, adding warehousing and omnichannel fulfillment capacity.
Pilot Freight Services
2022US first-, middle- and last-mile logistics provider specializing in big and bulky goods, bought for about $1.68 billion.
Senator International
2022Global air freight forwarder bought for about $644 million to expand Maersk's air logistics offering.
Performance Team
2020US warehousing and distribution company bought for about $545 million to expand North American contract logistics.
Keep researching Maersk
Maersk Company History FAQ
What are the major historical milestones in Maersk's 120-year history?
Milestones include founding in Svendborg (1904), opening Odense Shipyard (1918), moving to Copenhagen headquarters (1953), discovery of North Sea oil (1962), launching container shipping (1973), acquiring Sea-Land (1999), launching Triple-E ships (2013), and launching the world's first green methanol ship (2023).
How did Maersk transform container shipping with the 'Triple-E' class vessels in 2013?
In 2013, Maersk introduced the 18,000 TEU 'Triple-E' class container vessels (Economy of scale, Energy efficient, Environmentally improved), setting world records for ship size, reducing carbon emissions by 50% per container, and sparking the mega-ship era.
How did Maersk respond to the devastating 2017 NotPetya cyberattack?
In June 2017 the NotPetya malware shut down Maersk’s IT systems worldwide. The company rebuilt thousands of servers and PCs over about ten days and estimated the cost at $250-300 million.
What was Maersk's role in the historic Danish North Sea oil industry?
In 1962, A.P. Møller secured the sole concession for oil and gas exploration in Danish waters, creating the Danish Underground Consortium (DUC) and establishing Denmark's domestic energy independence before selling Maersk Oil to Total in 2017.
How did the COVID-19 container shipping boom impact Maersk in 2021 to 2022?
During 2021 to 2022, global consumer goods demand and port congestion caused container freight rates to surge tenfold. Maersk generated historic record profits ($30.9 billion EBIT in 2022), using the capital windfall to pay down debt and fund green vessels.
What was the historic naming ceremony of the 'Laura Mærsk' in Copenhagen in 2023?
In September 2023, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen served as godmother to christen the 'Laura Mærsk' in Copenhagen Harbor, the world's first operational commercial container ship powered by green e-methanol.
How did Maersk manage the 2024 Red Sea maritime security crisis?
Following Houthi drone and missile attacks on commercial shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb strait in late 2023 and 2024, Maersk rerouted all Asia-Europe container vessels around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, safeguarding crew safety while restructuring global sailing networks.
What is Maersk's vision for the future of global supply chains?
Maersk aims to be an integrated logistics provider linking ocean, terminals and landside services, and targets net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
How did Maersk start?
A.P. Møller - Mærsk was founded in 1904 in Svendborg, Denmark, by captain Peter Mærsk Møller and his son A.P. Møller. They started with a single secondhand steamship. A.P. Møller was highly aggressive and visionary, rapidly expanding the massive fleet. During WWII, the American government requisitioned Maersk's entire fleet to fight the war, fundamentally intertwining the Danish company with massive global geopolitics.
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