Our Heritage
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A Story of Incremental Entrepreneurship
1977
In 1977, Torben Christensen founded Copenhagen Merchants as a one-man agri-commodity broker business in a basement just north of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Much has changed since then, and today Copenhagen Merchants has become one of the leading agri-brokers in the world, while also expanding into various other areas within the sector.
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Every step of the way has seemed like a natural extension, almost like an octopus re-growing an arm ;)
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T.W. Heart
Cultural Ambassador, CM
Growing Together is more than a mantra — it's how we have always worked. Always committed to fostering teamwork and collaboration, both within our team but also with our partners and customers throughout the years.
Torben Christensen reminds us what a phone looked like in 1977.
Torben's son Simon Rodian Christensen joins the company as a co-owner in 2003, their partnership running until Torben retires in 2016.
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Still family-owned
A generational transition was in place in 2022, and today Simon is the CEO & Majority Owner of Copenhagen Merchants Group. Torben still serves as a board member and minority owner alongside Simon's sister Julie Bjørn Christensen.
Torben's wife Bente deserves a medal of honor for being the family anchor through it all ;)
Bits and pieces of the history
1977
Where it all began ...
Torben Christensen establishes Copenhagen Merchants in the basement of his family home.
Many legs have since been added to the CM "octopus", however the brokerage business remains the backbone of CM Group.
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1978
Chartering & Logistics
Starting in 1978 as an add-on to our brokerage business, Copenhagen Merchants offers freight brokerage to existing clients. In the very first order books, every single deal is eternalized in Torben's signature “grasshopper” handwriting.
1984
A real office
Copenhagen Merchants outgrows Torben's basement and moves into it's first real office on Lindegaardsvej. CM is not a one-man-band anymore, but consists of a small handful of dedicated Danes servicing agri-bulk customers around Europe.
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1985
The first bulk terminal
Copenhagen Merchants - in partnership with Fredericia Shipping - invests in its first agri-bulk terminal in Kalundborg, Denmark. It's also CM's very first joint venture - a business model that has since been the very core of how we operate. The following years, CM engages in JVs to establish bulk terminals in Fredericia (1986) and Grenaa (1990).
The CM Beliefs & Behaviors
Family based core values
Joint ventures, "Growing together" and an octopus by the name of T.W.Heart. Is this all just a fancy smancy way of marketing ourselves with savvy keywords and catchphrases? The answer is of course no.
The Copenhagen Merchants Beliefs & Behaviors have followed Copenhagen Merchants Group almost since the very beginning. They are in essence based on the core values of the Christensen family.
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Love, Loyalty & Trust, Freedom with Responsibility, Commitment & Ethical Soundness. These are building blocks we as a family consider essential for our very being, as individuals and as a unit. And the last, but equally important one: HAVING FUN!
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Simon, Julie, Torben & Bente Christensen
Founding family, CM
Continuing the CM journey
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1993
Simon on board
Simon Christensen enters the company as a board member. He is by now a 20 years old recent high school graduate and has just returned home from a year submerged in espresso, pasta, language courses and work in lovely Italy. FORZA!
2000
Inspections
CM establishes the survey and inspection company Euro Cargo Services (ECS).
ECS performs sampling and quality control, inspection, supervision and certification of mainly grains, oil seeds, feedstuffs and liquid bulk commodities.
2002
From Agri to Eco
CM responds to the growing markets within biofuel and starts handling wood pellets - back then primarily from Russia and The Baltics to Europe.
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2003
Simon starts working for CM
By 2003, Simon has secured a masters degree in Finance from Copenhagen Business School and subsequently worked in Danske Private Equity and Cargill in Germany. Neither he himself nor Torben planned for him to work for CM - however this is the year he joins the group as an employee and later minority owner.
Initially he focuses on developing the inspections business in detail - not shying away from an occasional duty in pest control, chasing pigeons away from our terminal areas.
First shipping investment
2008
Copenhagen Merchants and Fredericia Shipping jointly acquire Schultz Shipping, each owning 50%.
Schultz provides many services related to CM: agency, customs clearance, stevedoring, freight forwarding, ship-to-ship operations, etc.
CM Biomass founded
2009
CM establishes CM Biomass as a stand-alone company with Simon as CEO. It focuses on balancing supply and demand of biomass products across seasons and cycles.
CMB primarily trades and distributes wood pellets, but alternatives include sunflower husk pellets, peanut hull pellets, etc.
First international terminal
2009
The same year CM Biomass is established, we also enter international grounds when it comes to terminals. Our very first terminal abroad Dan Store is situated in Liepāja, Latvia, and is a JV with Bunge and Svane Shipping.
Julie enters CM
2010
By 2010, Torben’s daughter Julie has secured a BA in journalism from SDU, Denmark, and a Masters degree in documentary from UC Berkeley, USA. She works full time in TV production but this year she also enters the CM company board.
Heading to Poland
2011
In a joint venture between CM Group and Malteurop/Vivescia Group, Gdansk Bulk Terminal is established in 2012. The terminal is situated at the port of Gdansk – one of the leading ports for bulk cargo in Poland. Later, CM expands our terminal presence in Poland with a bulk terminal in Szczecin (2015).
Entering new territory
2013
Driven especially by health & sustainability concerns, the global demands for plant-based food and feedstuff are on the rise.
We eye a new but still agri-related business opportunity and the investment in Aarhus Bulk Terminal, Denmark, marks the start of our 'Plant-Based Proteins adventure'. A new arm has been added to our CM octopus.
After a significant refurbishment, Aarhus BT becomes fully operational to process food industry products like faba beans and peas with a high content of protein, fiber and starch, applicable for both feed & pet food, but also for human food & nutrition.
Expanding DK terminals
2014
CM and Schultz Shipping/KRINAK establishes Nakskov Bulk Terminal. Its very southern location on Zealand is also perfect for handling materials related to large infrastructure projects, including the Fehmarn Tunnel and Storstrøm Bridge.
Heading to Sweden
also2014
CM Group acquires Ystad Bulk Terminal in southern Sweden. It specializes in handling wood pellets but also handles other commodities such as grain, woodchips and fertilizer.
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2016
TC signing out ...
June 17th, 2016 is an emotional day for Torben.
39 years after starting what turned out to be his life project, he retires from the day-to-day business. Torben remains however a part of CM as a member of the company board.
From now on, Simon spearheads CM as the Group CEO (with his wife Nanna as vital "wing-woman" ;)
Time chartering first vessels
2017
In 2017 we time charter our first vessel to support our customers’ structural flow of goods even better.
Following 2017 our fleet of time chartered vessels grow partly to support structural flows and partly to service our growing number of shipping clients.
New headquarters
2018
CM outgrows the Lindegaardsvej office and moves headquarters to Nordhavn, Copenhagens historic freeport area.
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Own pellet production
2019
CMB invests in own pellet production in the US with local partners. Production starts in Huntsville, Alabama and within a couple of years CMB co-owns 11 production plants mainly in the southern part of USA.
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New massive terminal
2019
In a joint venture with DLG, CM initiates Masnedo Bulk Terminal in 2017. It undergoes berth construction completed in 2019. With a storage capacity of about 150,000 MT of grain, MBT is one of the largest facilities of its kind in Denmark.
Founding Navi Merchants
2021
The chartering business of CM grows into a company of its own – Navi Merchants is born. Rooted in the strong CM heritage, Navi Merchants specializes in dry bulk freight, with a primary focus on bulk agricultural products and biomass trades across the Baltic, Continent, Mediterranean, USA, and Southeast Asia.
Focusing on our strengths
2021
CM Group divests 60% of CM Biomass to USTC - another Danish family-owned company with a largespred expertise, their subdivisions mainly in bunkering, logistics, IT and shipping. To focus fully on our core businesses, CM Group fully divests ECS to Cotecna that same year.
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So where are we today?
Still
100%
Family-owned
We really are on quite a journey. From one man in a private basement office - to more than 300 employees in + 15 offices, terminals and logistics facilities around the world. And growing ;)
Still we remain 100% family-owned but also highly value the true driving force through it all: strong partnerships in life and in business.
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Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.
Albert Einstein
Physicist & Simon's continuous inspiration
As Simon & Julie stood there, on a hot summer 80ies holiday in Mallorca, laughing in Torben's tennis shorts, little did anyone know that that picture would be a tiny glimpse into the future. About 40 years later, a generational transition at CM was in place, with Torben and Julie as minority owners, and Simon spearheading as CEO & majority owner.