SSML (Seaspan Ship Management Limited) History

Our success is based on the quality of our people. We have combined excellence in ship management with strong financial acumen. Together we have achieved a number of milestones.

SSML was established in April 2001 with the prime function of operating owned vessels. The focus in development of the structure of the company, the systems it uses and the staffing of the vessels has been safe and reliable operations and preservation of the assets. In the broader Seaspan structure, the relationships within the current structure are strong, where owner, manager, plan approval group, site teams and commercial management are united under one banner. This promotes regular discussion and interaction between the interests. Owners are not remote but are hands-on within the business. The continued growth of the company has been well founded as demonstrated by the developing company structure.

SSML has developed and continuously improved its Safety Management System, which is annually audited both in the office and aboard ship and is compliant with the ISM Code. SSML has successfully achieved ISO 9000 compliance for its management systems and ISPS (Security Code) compliance on managed vessels.

When Seaspan Corporation went public it was the largest shipping IPO in history. Our financial model was the first of its kind and other companies have copied our successful structure. Our financial goal is to become a solid, stable asset leasing company and achieve a mid-cap status of $2.8B US.

We designed and delivered the one of the first 4250 TEU containerships, the CSCL Hamburg, launched in 2002. Quality is demonstrated in the design throughout the vessel. We offer some of the best living conditions on our vessels as we wish to attract and retain crews of the highest caliber.

The first of Seaspan's series of 9,600 TEU container ships, built at Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) in Korea was delivered on March 15, 2007. The CSCL Zeebrugge is the largest vessel in our fleet. Seaspan was the first container ship operator to break the 8,000 TEU barrier and we designed the first 8,500 TEU ship.

It is an exciting time to be part of the container shipping industry. The market is anticipated to grow at 10% each year. There are approximately 4500 containership vessels in the world and no company has more than 4% of the market share. We focus on the best of the charter companies and are carving out a niche as an industry leader. The CSCL Zeebrugge was our 24th vessel and first 9,600 TEU in operation. The progress does not stop there. Based on our current progress, by 2010 Seaspan will have more than 100 vessels in operations.

While growth is an important part of our strategy, our focus is to be the best at what we do. To this end, we apply a rigorous and cautious approach when we enter into new agreements. Seaspan looks to work with the top charter parties and focus on what we do best. We also look to be the most efficient. This means attention to the bottom line while maintaining safety and quality.

Top of page   Previous Page