Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A.

Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. (MSC) is currently the second-largest container shipping line in the world. The line operates 376 vessels and has a capacity of TEU|1,250,000|first=yes. Services are operated to all major ports of the world.

History

MSC was founded in 1970 as a private company by Captain Gianluigi Aponte when he bought his first ship. The Sorrento shipowner then traded to Africa carrying anything he could.

The shipping line has since grown from being a small regular ship operator to become one of the world's largest shipping lines. A cruise line subsidiary, MSC Italian Cruises was created in 1988. The corporate headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland and the line's main hub is in Antwerp, BelgiumFact|date=March 2008.

The Company Today

MSC serves 270 ports worldwide on the six continents. 350 local offices, employing a total of 28,000 people, provide an agency network representation. Vessels with up to a capacity of TEU|9,200, including the one of the largest container ships, the MSC Pamela. The company remains independent and wholly owned by its president Aponte and his family.

The line was named shipping line of the year in 2007 for the sixth time in eleven years by Lloyds Loading List which is an achievement not matched by any other shipping line. The line has just also placed orders for eleven new vessels that will be able to carry up to 15,000 TEU's each, which are some of the largest container vessels in the world.

MSC India's new Headquarters building MSC House was inaugurated by Diego Aponte in 2008.

MSC Napoli

The MSC Napoli, which MSC operated under charter from its owner, had to be abandoned in the English Channel due to European storm Kyrill in January 2007

External links

* [http://www.mscgva.ch MSC - Mediterranean Shipping Company web site]
* [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/I8DG.html Gianluigi & Rafaela Aponte Forbes 2006] [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/10/billionaires08_Gianluigi-Rafaela-Aponte_I8DG.html Gianluigi & Rafaela Aponte Forbes 2008]