Harper Petersen
Harper Petersen is an independent Hamburg-based shipbroking firm providing chartering and sale & purchase services across container, tanker, and dry bulk segments, with offices in Hamburg, Shanghai, Singapore, and Rhoon, and publishing the proprietary HARPEX container charter rate index.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1943
- HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Harper Petersen does
Harper Petersen is an independent shipbroking firm founded in 1943 in the United Kingdom and now headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Following MPC Capital's acquisition of all remaining shares in 2023, the firm operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of MPC Capital Group. Harper Petersen provides chartering brokerage across three core shipping segments — container, tanker, and dry bulk — together with sale and purchase brokerage for second-hand vessels. The firm serves shipowners, charterers, and financial counterparties from offices in Hamburg, Shanghai, Singapore, and Rhoon (Netherlands), and employs between 11 and 50 staff in total.
The firm's most differentiated asset is the HARPEX Index, a proprietary container charter rate index it has published since 2004. HARPEX is licensed and redistributed by major financial data infrastructure providers including Refinitiv, Macrobond, and Haver Analytics, and is referenced by public institutions such as the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, OECD, and EUROSTAT. The firm's primary revenue mechanism is transaction-based commissions on concluded charter fixtures and sale & purchase transactions, supplemented by HARPEX data licensing and advisory income. A secondary advisory line has been built around a Future Fuels & Compliance service, addressing regulatory and decarbonization advisory needs of shipping clients.
Strategically, Harper Petersen has pursued consolidation in a fragmented shipbroking market. In 2019 the firm unified Zeaborn's and MPC Capital's shipping interests under the Harper Petersen brand; in 2024 it integrated Albis Shipping, broadening product and geographic coverage. The combination of a proprietary benchmark (HARPEX), multi-segment broker desks, an Asia-Pacific office footprint, and ongoing M&A-led consolidation under MPC Capital ownership defines the firm's current strategic posture.
Harper Petersen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Harper Petersen
- Legal name
- Harper Petersen & Co. GmbH & Co. KG
- Website
- https://harperpetersen.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1943
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Harper Petersen is an independent Hamburg-based shipbroking firm providing chartering and sale & purchase services across container, tanker, and dry bulk segments, with offices in Hamburg, Shanghai, Singapore, and Rhoon, and publishing the proprietary HARPEX container charter rate index.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Harper Petersen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Shipbroking Services
- NAICS
- Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)
- SIC
- Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mainline Container Liner Carriers (TLADABAA)
Keywords
Where Harper Petersen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Harper Petersen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Shipbroking Services: The company generates revenue through shipbroking commissions and fees for chartering services across container, tanker, and dry bulk segments. Services include chartering, operations, marine accounting, compliance support, and sale & purchase facilitation. Revenue is derived from transaction-based commissions on vessel charters and sales.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Harper Petersen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Harper Petersen is a diversified shipbroking house providing commercial chartering services across container, tanker, and dry bulk vessel segments. Services include chartering brokerage, sale and purchase facilitation, post-fixture operations, marine accounting, and future fuels/compliance advisory. The firm also publishes the proprietary HARPEX weekly charter rates index for container ships.
Product overview
Harper Petersen is a diversified shipbroking house offering a comprehensive portfolio of maritime services. The core offerings include Container Chartering with the proprietary HARPEX index, Tanker Chartering (Harper Petersen Albis), Bulker Chartering, and Sale & Purchase services. Supporting these are service modules for Operations, Marine Accounting, and Future Fuels & Compliance. The company operates as a unified shipbroking platform serving container, bulk, and tanker shipping segments across offices in Hamburg, Shanghai, Singapore, and the Netherlands.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Container Chartering Commercial chartering services for container vessels of all sizes (700-8500 TEU), covering chartering, operations, marine accounting, and compliance with future fuels. Designed for shipowners, operators, and charterers in the container shipping segment.
- Tanker Chartering Tanker chartering services delivered through Harper Petersen Albis, one of the leading tanker chartering franchises in Germany. Includes regulatory compliance support, carbon-related initiatives, and environmental regulations advisory. For tanker vessel owners and charterers across the tanker industry.
- Bulker Chartering Dry bulk broking services operated primarily from the Hamburg office, covering coaster parcels, supramax coal cargo, and period employment for bulkers up to Ultramax sized vessels. For bulk carrier operators and charterers requiring efficient cargo movement.
- Sale & Purchase Vessel transaction facilitation across all segments including dry bulk carriers, tankers, container ships, and offshore vessels. Includes deal structuring with long-term charters, newbuild contracts, demolition, and consultancy services. For clients seeking to buy, sell, or lease vessels.
- HARPEX (Harper Petersen Charter Rates Index) Weekly published charter rate index for container vessels covering 9 vessel classes from 700-8500 TEU, assessing rates for 6-12 month fixture periods. Used by Refinitiv, Macrobond, Haver Analytics and referenced by FED of Dallas, OECD, and EUROSTAT. For market participants requiring container charter rate benchmarking.
Quantifiable outcome
- HARPEX index used by major financial data providers (Refinitiv, Macrobond, Haver) and cited by FED of Dallas, OECD, EUROSTAT
Companies that use Harper Petersen
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Harper Petersen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Harper Petersen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- MPC Capital GroupcoreHarper Petersen is part of the MPC Capital Group. The company was integrated into Harper Petersen brand following the 2019 merger of Zeaborn and MPC Capital's shipping activities. In 2023, MPC Capital acquired all remaining shares in Harper Petersen.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Harper Petersen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Maersk Broker: Shipbroking arm of the Maersk group covering container, tanker, dry bulk, and offshore chartering globally. Competes with Harper Petersen especially in container and tanker chartering desks.
- ACM Shipping: Independent London-based shipbroker offering chartering and S&P across multiple vessel segments. Direct mid-market competitor to Harper Petersen in chartering and sale & purchase.
- Clarkson PLC: Largest global shipbroker and integrated shipping services provider, offering chartering, S&P, research, and financial services across all vessel segments. Direct head-to-head competitor to Harper Petersen across container, tanker, and dry bulk chartering.
- Simpson Spence Young (SSY): London-headquartered global shipbroker with strong presence in tanker and dry bulk chartering plus S&P. Closely comparable to Harper Petersen in segment mix and relationship-driven broking model.
- Poten & Partners: US-based shipbroker with strong tanker and LNG chartering expertise plus S&P advisory. Overlaps with Harper Petersen's tanker chartering and sale & purchase activities, particularly for US-linked clients.
- Braemar ACM: London-based shipbroking division covering container, dry bulk, tanker, and offshore chartering alongside S&P and consultancy. Competes with Harper Petersen across multiple vessel segments and sale & purchase mandates.
- Fearnleys: Norwegian-headquartered shipbroker with a global office network covering sale & purchase, chartering, and offshore. Comparable to Harper Petersen as a long-established, multi-segment European shipbroker.
- BRS Brokers (Barry Rogliano Salles): French-headquartered global shipbroker active across bulk, tanker, container chartering and S&P. Comparable to Harper Petersen in international chartering footprint and multi-segment coverage.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Harper Petersen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Harper Petersen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Harper Petersen subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Harper Petersen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Harper Petersen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Harper Petersen
What does Harper Petersen do?
Harper Petersen is a diversified shipbroking house providing commercial chartering services across container, tanker, and dry bulk vessel segments. Services include chartering brokerage, sale and purchase facilitation, post-fixture operations, marine accounting, and future fuels/compliance advisory. The firm also publishes the proprietary HARPEX weekly charter rates index for container ships.
Is Harper Petersen a public or private company?
Harper Petersen is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Harper Petersen founded?
Harper Petersen was founded in 1943. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Harper Petersen based?
Harper Petersen is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Harper Petersen make money?
One revenue line is on record: shipbroking Services.
Who are Harper Petersen's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Maersk Broker, ACM Shipping, Clarkson PLC, Simpson Spence Young (SSY), Poten & Partners, Braemar ACM, Fearnleys and BRS Brokers (Barry Rogliano Salles).
Does Harper Petersen have an API?
No public API is recorded for Harper Petersen.
What industry is Harper Petersen in?
Harper Petersen's product category is Shipbroking Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLADABAA, Mainline Container Liner Carriers. Its NAICS code is 48839 and its SIC code is 4412.