Fifty years, one course.
Today Toepfer Transport is one of the established sale & purchase and newbuilding shipbroking firms in Hamburg — still privately owned, and now in its second generation.
The firm was established in 1974 by Heinrich A. Toepfer, who departed from his family's grain and shipping enterprise to build a brokerage of his own.
What started in dry-cargo brokerage grew, decade by decade, into a full-service house — adding container chartering, then sale & purchase and newbuilding, later its own market intelligence desk, and along the way placing well over 100 newbuildings.
- 1974
A new brokerage
Heinrich A. Toepfer founds the firm, leaving the family grain and shipping enterprise to focus on dry-cargo brokerage.
- 1980s
Into container chartering
The company expands from dry cargo into container chartering, broadening its footprint in the market.
- 1990s
Sale & purchase and newbuilding
Toepfer Transport moves into sale & purchase and newbuilding services, going on to place over 100 newbuildings.
- 1999
Clemens Toepfer joins
Clemens Toepfer joins the firm in December 1999, becoming managing director two years later.
- 2007
Shanghai office
A Shanghai office opens to serve the Asian newbuilding markets from within the region.
- 2014
New partner, new market intelligence desk
In January 2014 Hannes Hollaender becomes a partner and the firm establishes its dedicated market intelligence desk.
- 2016
Launch of the TMI
Launch of the Toepfer Multipurpose Index (TMI) and the Quarterly Multipurpose Report. Over the past years, these have become established reference points for the MPP / heavy-lift shipping markets.
- 2025
Re-establishing the chartering desk
Toepfer Transport re-establishes its chartering desk, bringing owners and charterers together across the container, MPP / heavy-lift and shortsea segments.
The next chapter starts with a conversation.
Whether you are buying, selling, building or chartering — we would be glad to help.