Grimaldi Germany: 25 years of growth, experience and commitment
A quarter of a century of growth, development
and commitment: Grimaldi Germany GmbH is celebrating its 25th
anniversary. From its beginnings as a small agency in Hamburg, the company has
evolved into a well-established organization, reflecting the Grimaldi Group’s
own growth and expanding presence in the German market.
The journey began on 1 July 1997, when the
Italian group set up an agency called European Car Carriers GmbH (ECC) at
Hamburg’s Unikai Terminal, with about ten employees and a core business focused
on the transportation of vehicles. Just four years later, on 1 October
2001, ECC became Grimaldi Germany GmbH, and had already grown to 39
employees and two trainees, while Hamburg was served by four Grimaldi Group vessels
on the North Europe-South America route and five on the North Europe-West
Africa route.
Growth
continued with the move to a new office in Hamburg’s emerging HafenCity in 2005. By that time, Grimaldi Germany
had expanded further with 60 employees.
2007 was a significant year
for Grimaldi in Germany, marked by two important developments: the opening of Grimaldi Germany’s Bremen branch, and the Group’s
acquisition of a 49% stake in Hamburg’s Unikai Terminal.
The following years brought further
developments, including the inclusion of Hamburg in the regular services
operated by the Group company Atlantic Container Line (ACL) in 2008, and
the launch of Grimaldi’s Euro Aegean service in 2009.
An additional step towards an integrated
organization came in 2018, when ACL Deutschland merged into Grimaldi
Germany. More recently, the Group reinforced its German network with the
arrival of its newbuilds in Bremerhaven, serving routes to the Red Sea,
Southeast Asia, the Far East and Oceania.
Today, across its Hamburg and Bremen
offices, Grimaldi Germany employs some 92 people, including nine trainees. In 2025, Grimaldi vessels made
180 calls at Hamburg and Bremerhaven, highlighting the strategic importance of both
ports within the Group’s global network.
What started out as a small agency has grown into a very strong organization built on experience, expertise and, above all, people, supporting Grimaldi’s operations in Germany and contributing to the expansion of its global network.
Picture of the Grimaldi Germany management
From left to right: Sabrina Griepke (General Manager Commercial Operations ACL Trades), Edda Müller (Director Finance), Kai Wethmar (General Manager / Sales Director), Dirk Peters (Managing Director), Dirk Pichlmeier (General Manager / Commercial Director)