Ben Line Singapore Office – 70th Anniversary, 2021.
2021 marks the 70th year of Ben Line office operations in Singapore, having previously worked with local agents and partners in earlier years.
The Ben Line company was founded in 1825 in Edinburgh, Scotland, by two Scottish brothers, and soon after they began trading between the Far East (primarily Japan and China) and Europe. The business grew, and it was after World War II that Ben Line increased liner activity in the region as new trades emerged serving Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.
Singapore quickly became an operational and commercial hub for the region, with the first Ben Line office opening in 1951. It was in The Union Building (pic.1) on Collyer Quay, a major landmark along the busy waterfront.
The business has continued to grow, becoming Ben Line Agencies in the mid 1980’s, and now offering a wide range of Maritime and Logistics solutions. Our Singapore office today is the Group Headquarters for Ben Line Agencies, employing just over 100 staff.
To mark the anniversary, and the unprecedented recent changes to our work and personal lives, our team in Singapore have implemented several company programs. The programs are intended to keep our employees active, healthy, and productive as we adjust to the changes that the Covid world presents.
As our mission statement says, “Our People are key to our business and success. We want to find, develop and retain great people, as they form the basis for everything that we do.” Ben Line is committed to implementing this across the entire group.
We thank all our principals, customers, vendors, and partners that have worked with us to develop the Singapore office and business. Your support is invaluable and greatly appreciated.
Happy 70th Anniversary Singapore office!
Photographs of Ben Line staff in Singapore taken in 1951 (pic. 2.3.4) courtesy of Kate Deans photograph collections, of whom her father Capt. William (Bill) Atkinson (top left) and Mother Margaret (top left) were employees of Ben Line Singapore
References
Ben Line archives
Ben Line by Graeme H. Somner (2009, Ships in Focus Publications) ISBN 978-1-901703-54-2
Kate Deans collections
https://www.roots.gov.sg/