OSM Maritime and Thome reveal merger plans

Ship management companies OSM Maritime Group and Thome Group have agreed to a merger of the two companies. The combined company will be named OSM Thome.

“By joining our resources in OSM Thome, we will become an even better partner to our customers. With our emphasis on safe and efficient operations as well as innovation, our ambition is to make the combined company even more relevant and attractive to customers, employees, and seafarers. Our companies are a good match in terms of expertise and capacity, and we share a common agenda on important areas such as digitalisation, cyber security and green shipping,” says Finn Amund Norbye, Group CEO of OSM Maritime Group

Both OSM and Thome are working with their clients in activities to improve the energy efficiency of their operations at all levels and evaluating the switch to using cleaner fuels to work towards the IMO’s target of reducing shipping’s GHG emissions by 50% by 2050.

The headquarters of the combined company will be located in Arendal, Norway, with strong technical management hubs maintained in Singapore and Europe.

“Together, the two companies have a total of 31,000 employees, whereof 2,000 onshore in 22 countries, representing a diversity of expertise and experience. It is the people that enable us to deliver top quality and sustainable solutions to our customers. We operate across all the world’s oceans, and the efforts of our 29,000 seafarers are key for the position we have gained within international shipping,” says Olav Nortun, Group CEO of Thome Group.

Today, the two companies manage 1,000 ships, whereof 450 ships on full technical management, and 550 ships on crew management. The fleet consists of different segments such as tank, bulk, container, car carriers, cruise ships and offshore vessels and units.

Completion of the merger of the two companies is conditional upon approval from the competition and other relevant authorities, which is anticipated during the first quarter of 2023.

OSM Maritime’s CEO Finn Amund Norbye will assume the role of CEO for the merged OSM Thome, while Thome’s CEO, Olav Nortun, will take up the position of COO for the consolidated ship management activities. OSM founder Bjørn Tore Larsen will become Chairman of the new Board of Directors and Thome’s Claes Eek Thorstensen will be the Vice Chairman.