The Østensjø group sells 20 % of Mercator Crewing to Møkster.

Mercator Crewing provides crewing- and ship management services to the maritime industry. The Company, which employs over 350 seafarers, is headquartered in the heart of the Norwegian shipping cluster, Haugesund, Norway. Branch offices are located in Poland, Lithuania, and the Philippines.

“Møkster has been a trusted customer of Mercator Crewing for many years, so I am confident that this partnership will be a good match, says Roald Larsen, General Manager at Mercator Crewing.

Reflecting on the acquisition, he adds “joining forces with a solid and competent company like Møkster, will create positive synergies – our combined efforts will contribute to further growth in a very exciting industry, as well as securing workplaces for employees offshore and onshore”.  

Mercator Crewing focuses on high-quality and reliability in its deliveries and has a broad selection of solid customers in its portfolio. The company continues to grow and has an ambition of expanding into new markets worldwide.

“We are excited about having Møkster as a partner in Mercator Crewing. Møkster’s long history and competence will further strengthen Mercator Crewing’s position on becoming a solid provider of crewing services to the global shipping industry. We are looking forward to, what I believe will be a successful partnership”, says Håvard Framnes, Investment Director of Østensjø group and Chairman of Mercator Crewing. 

After the sale, the Østensjø group will own 50 % of Mercator Crewing.

“We have received qualified crew and reliable services from Mercator Crewing since 2010 and are excited to engage in further development of the company. Mercator Crewing has been a key supplier of highly qualified crew members to the Møkster fleet of NIS vessels and we are confident that both companies will benefit from the cooperation also in the future.Competent crew is a necessity to deliver our maritime services to our customers”, says Anne Jorunn Møkster CEO of Simon Møkster Shipping.

About Simon Møkster Shipping

The Shipping company Simon Møkster was established in 1968. The company is a supplier of modern offshore support vessels with high-quality specifications, designed for operations in harsh weather conditions. The company’s head office is located in Stavanger, Norway and the main operational area is the North- and the Barents Sea. Møkster has a fleet of 16 vessels and approximately 500 employees onshore and offshore. Simon Møkster Shipping and Møkster Investering is 100 % owned by the Møkster family. Read more at www.mokster.no

About Mercator Crewing

Mercator Crewing Holding AS is a provider of marine crew and ship management services to the global shipping industry. The business started in 2005 under the name Norwegian Maritime Services AS. In 2019, the company was acquired by the Østensjø Group. Mercator Crewing is headquartered in Haugesund, with offices in Poland, Lithuania, and the Philippines. The administration consists of 12 people and the company employs 350 seafarers. Read more at www.mercatorcrewing.com

About Østensjø Group

The Østensjø group is a leading provider of offshore services since 1973. The private group owns and operates vessels within offshore wind, terminal towage, offshore oil & gas and offshore accommodation. The group also provides crewing services to shipping companies. The Østensjø Group is headquartered in Haugesund, Norway with offices in United Kingdom, Poland and Malta. Read more at www.ostensjo.no.

For further information, contact:
Håvard Framnes
Investment Director
Johannes Østenjø dy AS
Mobile: +47 993 86 430
havard.framnes@ostensjo.no

Roald Larsen
General Manager
Mercator Crewing Holding AS
Mobile: +47 480 21 823
Roald@mercatorcrewing.com