COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 483113

Coastal and Great Lakes Freight Transportation

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

11companies1822–1983founding years11still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedGroupe Bolloré
1822
FoundedGroupe Louis Dreyfus S.A.
1851
1869
EconomyThe Suez Canal opens, reshaping global shipping.
FoundedChina Merchants International Holdings Co., Ltd.
1872
FoundedSunoco, Inc.
1890
FoundedAlexander & Baldwin, Inc.
1900
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedCrowley Maritime Corporation
1906
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedAttica Enterprises S.A.
1918
FoundedCanadian National Railway Company
1919
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedKirby Corporation
1969
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedHanjin Shipping Co., Ltd.
1977
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedAPL Limited
1983
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
TechnologyGPS opens to civilian use, turning location into a utility.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Groupe Bolloré →
Active · founded 1822 · France
Groupe Bolloré is a diversified industrial conglomerate with leadership status in most of its operating areas.
Groupe Louis Dreyfus S.A. →
Active · founded 1851 · France
Groupe Louis Dreyfus S.A.
China Merchants International Holdings Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1872 · Hong Kong
China Merchants International Holdings Co., Ltd.
Sunoco, Inc. →
Active · founded 1890
Sunoco, Inc.
Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. →
Active · founded 1900
Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., one of the original 'Big Five' Hawaiian companies, is a diversified corporation with…
Crowley Maritime Corporation →
Active · founded 1906
Crowley Maritime Corporation is the largest operator of tugboats and barges in the world.
Attica Enterprises S.A. →
Active · founded 1918 · Greece
Greece's Attica Enterprises S.A.
Canadian National Railway Company →
Active · founded 1919 · Canada
One of the six major North American railways, known as Class 1 railways, Canadian National Railway Company (CN)…
Kirby Corporation →
Active · founded 1969
As the largest inland barge operator in the United States, Kirby Corporation and subsidiary Kirby Inland Marine LP…
Hanjin Shipping Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1977 · South Korea
Hanjin Shipping Co., Ltd., a Korean global carrier, was established in 1977 by its family-run parent conglomerate, the…
APL Limited →
Active · founded 1983
APL Limited, formerly called the American President Companies Ltd., operates container shipping services by container…
Build It Today

Starting a coastal and great lakes freight transportation company now

Each week we rebuild one of these stories with today's tools and capital.