Ellerman City Liners, part of GB Global, has acquired Viasea Shipping from Norway’s ColliCare Holding AS, a move that strengthens Ellerman’s position in the European shortsea shipping market and deepens its commitment to sustainable logistics solutions.
Founded in 2016, Viasea has grown rapidly as a challenger brand in Northern Europe’s shortsea sector, operating scheduled services between the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, and Lithuania. With offices across key logistics hubs including Moss, Rotterdam, Gdynia, Klaipeda, and Immingham, the company has earned a reputation for reliable, customer-focused operations and for offering greener alternatives to road transport.
“This acquisition isn’t just about growth; it’s about redefining shortsea shipping for the future,” said Iain Liddell, Founder and Managing Director of GB Global. “By combining Ellerman’s UK expertise with Viasea’s agile, sustainable shortsea operations, we’re creating a European network built on speed, reliability, and greener solutions.”
Peter Andrews, Managing Director of Ellerman City Liners, called the move “a major step towards completing our European infrastructure jigsaw,” adding that it will allow the company to deliver “a truly comprehensive door-to-door service across Europe.”
Morten Pettersen, Managing Director of Viasea, said joining GB Global “is a natural evolution for Viasea” and will enable the company “to scale operations while staying true to our values.”
The acquisition expands Ellerman’s coverage, integrates multimodal rail links from Poland to Romania, and advances GB Global’s mission to shift more freight from road to sea.