GOTEBORG-FREDERIKSHAVN:

The story

Stena Line

1962
Stena's founder, Sten Allan Olsson, started the business in 1962. A combination of organic growth and corporate acquisitions have helped make Stena Line, once mainly a regional company operating in Western Scandinavia, into a major player involved in the marine infrastructure of the whole of North Western Europe.

1967
Five years after Stena took over Skagenlinjen, the next developmental step was taken with the opening of the Gothenburg - Kiel route in 1967. Several new ferry routes had been opened previously, mainly for summer traffic, including Lysekil/Uddevalla - Skagen, Stockholm - Mariehamn and Tilbury - Calais, the latter between England and France.

1979
In the autumn of 1979, the next major route for year-round traffic was started between Oslo and Frederikshavn

1982 During the "Kattegat war" at the beginning of the 1980s, Stena Line was in competition with the more traditional GFL/Sessanlinjen. The extensive investments made by both companies in new ferries threatened to create considerable overcapacity on the Denmark and German routes from Gothenburg. What was needed was co-ordination, and the two shipping companies merged in 1982.
At the end of 1982, the next expansion step was taken, when the ferry company Lion Ferry and its Varberg - Grenå route was acquired from the Bonnier Group.

1988
The company was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in the summer of 1988 and Stena Line's shares were quoted on the Stockholm Stock Exchange's A1 list from 1990. The background to the Stock Exchange listing was the ambition to pursue Stena Line's international expansion by gaining access to the risk capital provided by a Stock Exchange listing.

In February 2001 Stena Line was de-listed from the stock exchange and the company has once again been returned to private ownership.

1989
Stena Line acquires the Dutch company SMZ/Crown Line in Holland..

1990
Stena Line acquires Sealink British Ferries in the UK in 1990. Today Stena Line has four routes in UK.

1993
Stena Line introduces the HSS concept

1996
On 10 April 1996, the Stena Explorer made her maiden voyage on the Holyhead - Dun Laoghaire route across the Irish Sea. The Stena Explorer was the first in a series of three large HSS (High-speed Sea Service) 1500 ferries developed by Stena Shipping. The second HSS 1500 ferry, Stena Voyager, was put into service in July of the same year on the domestic route between Scotland and Northern Ireland in the northern corridor across the Irish Sea.

1998
To meet the competition from the Channel Tunnel, Stena Line merged its ferry operations with the UK Company P&O in the Short Sea area between England and France/Belgium. Thenew joint-owned company, P&O Stena Line, was able to start operating on 10 March 1998. Stena Line own 40 per cent of P&O Stena Line with the remaining 60 per cent being owned by P&O.

2000
Stena Line acquires Scandlines AB with four routes in South Sweden. By the acquisition Stena Line strengthening it position as one of Europe's leading ferry companies.

2001
Stena Line is delisted and becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Stena AB. During this year Stena Line also start to operate a freight only route between Hoek van Holland and Killingholme

2002
Stena Line 40 years.
Today Stena Line has 17 strategically located routes in Scandinavia and in UK. The routes are serviced by a total of 36 vessels.

(Text: Stena Line)