What Van Weelde Shipping Group does

Van Weelde Shipping Group (VWSG) is a privately held, Netherlands-based integrated shipping company founded in Rotterdam in 1964 and now headquartered in Breda. The company is dedicated exclusively to the Handysize dry bulk segment and operates across ship-owning, commercial management, ship-broking, and ship management (technical management and crewing). Two principal brands sit at the front of the operation: OSR Rotterdam B.V. handles chartering and commercial management of the owned and chartered-in Handysize fleet, while Van Weelde Chartering B.V. acts as a shipbroker fixing tonnage worldwide from Coasters up to Panamaxes for dry cargo and reefer clients. Supporting entities include Hellas Confidence Shipmanagement S.A. in Athens (technical management and dry-docking), CSC Rotterdam (ship management coordination), and CSC crewing operations in Manila, Flushing (Netherlands), and Lithuania.

The group's revenue is generated through three streams: freight and charter hire from owned and chartered-in Handysize vessels, brokerage commissions on third-party charter contracts, and managed services fees for technical management and crewing provided to VWSG's own fleet and third-party owners. Pricing is negotiated bilaterally rather than published, with freight rates driven by spot and time-charter market conditions, vessel specifications, and voyage requirements. The go-to-market is relationship-driven enterprise sales, with direct engagement by named commercial leaders (Managing Director, Chartering Manager, Operations Managers) and the founding family still represented in the CCO role. Operational technology investments are limited to off-the-shelf systems such as NAPA Fleet Intelligence for voyage optimization, ultra-modern hull coatings, and ballast water treatment systems on owned tonnage.

VWSG is a family-controlled, non-listed company with no institutional investors or external funding rounds disclosed. Headcount is small (approximately 9 personnel listed), with a globally distributed but lean organizational footprint spanning the Netherlands, Greece, the Philippines, and Lithuania. Sustainability and ESG positioning are visible through carbon credit retirement via ATPI, but the company has no disclosed AI, software, or platform product offering. Customer logos are not publicly named, and revenue figures are not disclosed.

Name

Van Weelde Shipping Group

Legal name

Van Weelde Shipping Group

Website

https://vanweeldeshippinggroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Van Weelde Shipping Group is a privately held Dutch integrated shipping company, founded in 1964, dedicated to Handysize dry bulk. It operates ship-owning, commercial management (OSR Rotterdam), ship-broking (Van Weelde Chartering), and technical and crewing management for cargo owners and shipping clients worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Breda

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Handysize Dry Bulk Shipping & Chartering: The company owns and operates Handysize dry bulk vessels, chartering them to clients worldwide for cargo transport. Revenue is generated through freight rates charged for transporting dry bulk commodities across international shipping routes. The company also operates a chartered-in fleet to supplement owned vessels.
2. Ship-broking Services: Van Weelde Chartering B.V. acts as a shipbroker specializing in dry cargo and reefer chartering, fixing tonnage worldwide from Coasters up to Panamaxes for both international and domestic clients. Revenue comes from brokerage commissions on charter contracts arranged.
3. Ship Management Services: Technical management services for vessels in deep-sea trade, including crewing (through CSC Crewing), technical management (through Hellas Confidence Shipmanagement), and commercial management (through OSR Rotterdam). Services provided for owned fleet and third-party vessels.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Van Weelde Shipping Group is an integrated shipping company dedicated to Handysize dry bulk shipping, involved in ship-owning, ship-broking, commercial management, and ship management including crewing and technical management. The group operates primarily through OSR Rotterdam B.V. for commercial operations/chartering and Van Weelde Chartering B.V. for ship-broking services across international shipping routes.

Product overview

Van Weelde Shipping Group (VWSG) is an integrated shipping company providing a comprehensive suite of maritime services. The company operates under two primary brand names: OSR Rotterdam B.V. (Orient Shipping Rotterdam) for commercial operations and chartering, and Van Weelde Chartering B.V. for ship-broking services. Supporting these core operations is Hellas Confidence Shipmanagement S.A., which provides technical management of vessels. The portfolio covers the entire shipping value chain including ship-owning, ship-broking, commercial management, and ship management (crewing and technical management), all primarily focused on Handysize dry bulk shipping.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OSR Rotterdam B.V. - Commercial Ship Operations & Chartering

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced fuel consumption through NAPA fleet intelligence optimization and ultra-modern underwater coating systems
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CSC CrewingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014CSC Crewing was established in 2014 with offices in Flushing (Netherlands) and Lithuania for crewing activities for the VWSG fleet and for third parties. This expands VWSG's crewing capabilities beyond the Manila partnership to provide comprehensive crew management services.
• CSC ManilacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000VWSG started cooperation with CSC Manila in 2000 for exclusive crewing activities, both for its own-controlled fleet and for third parties. The Manila office has been operating since 2001, benefiting Filipino crews and the wider population in the region through employment and charitable activities.
• Hellas Confidence Shipmanagement S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999VWSG formed Hellas Confidence Shipmanagement in Greece in 1999 for the day-to-day technical management of its vessels. The Athens-based company provides full technical management services for vessels in deep-sea trade and is responsible for arranging periodical dry-docking of vessels.
• CSC Rotterdam (Confidence Shipmanagement Company B.V.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998CSC Rotterdam was established in 1998 for the coordination of VWSG's ship management activities. This entity coordinates the broader ship management operations including crewing and technical management services across the group.
• NAPA Fleet IntelligencecoreTechnology or IntegrationVWSG partnered with NAPA fleet intelligence to increase vessel efficiency and minimize fuel consumption. This cloud-based solution analyzes ship characteristics and weather conditions to optimize ship efficiency and safety. The partnership supports VWSG's sustainability objectives by reducing environmental impact per voyage.
• ATPIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATPI serves as VWSG's sustainable travel partner for facilitating carbon credit offsets. For 2025, Van Weelde Shipping Group retired 1273 tonnes of verified carbon credits through ATPI to offset CO2 emissions related to business travel of staff and seafarers. The partnership supports VWSG's sustainability and ESG commitments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Safe Bulkers: Internationally listed dry bulk owner-operator with a fleet including Panamax, Kamsarmax, and Handysize vessels — comparable vessel-class coverage and voyage-charter commercial model.
• Star Bulk Carriers: One of the largest global dry bulk shipowners with a fleet spanning Newcastlemax through Handysize, offering the closest product/market overlap with VWSG's Handysize focus, though at significantly larger fleet scale.
• Diana Shipping: Global dry bulk shipowner operating a fleet that includes Handysize and Newcastlemax vessels with time-charter and voyage-charter exposure — directly comparable in core dry bulk shipping activity, though at materially larger scale.
• d'Amico Shipping Group: Italian family-controlled shipping company with Handysize and MR product tanker exposure plus dry cargo capabilities, offering a comparable privately held, mid-sized European integrated shipping platform.
• Spliethoff: Dutch family-owned shipping group operating a fleet of multipurpose and dry cargo vessels, including Handysize tonnage, with in-house ship management and chartering capabilities — directly comparable to VWSG's integrated Dutch dry bulk model.
• Hartmann Group (Hartmann Reederei): Northern European family-owned shipping company operating Handysize and multipurpose dry cargo vessels with in-house ship management — closely comparable to VWSG in ownership profile, vessel class, and integrated service offering.
• Wagenborg Shipping: Dutch family-owned shipping operator with a mixed dry cargo and multipurpose fleet including Handysize/Handymax vessels and in-house ship management, offering the closest comparable in size, ownership structure, and integrated service profile.
• Eagle Bulk Shipping: US-listed pure-play owner-operator of Supramax/Handysize dry bulk vessels, directly comparable in vessel class focus to VWSG's Handysize-centric strategy and global voyage chartering model.
• Genco Shipping & Trading: US-listed owner of a fleet of Ultramax and Supramax dry bulk vessels, comparable to VWSG in voyage-charter dry bulk exposure and customer base of major commodity houses.

Broad incumbents

• Clarkson PLC: World's largest shipbroking and maritime services group providing offshore broking, research, and ship management — comparable to VWSG's shipbroking (Van Weelde Chartering) and ship management (Hellas Confidence) arms, though at vastly greater scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/van-weelde-shipping-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Van Weelde Shipping Group