A timeline of Eddie Steamship Group's 110 years history
1912: Our company founder Mr. Charles Eddie Hsu established his first business venture in Shanghai, C. Eddie & Co., a ship chandler company that supplied stores, provisions and coal (fuel) for the many ships that called at China's busiest port.
1916: Charles Eddie Hsu becomes the proprietor of the Grill Room restaurant at the Astor House Hotel, the most luxurious hotel in Shanghai at the time.
1922: Charles Eddie Hsu becomes a shipowner being a major shareholder in the S.S. Chusan, a new building constructed at Shanghai Dock and Engineering Co. Ltd. and christened on 12 June 1922, carrying passengers and general cargos between Shanghai, Ningbo, Wenzhou, and his hometown of Dinghai on Zhoushan (Choushan) island.
1923: Charles Eddie Hsu opens the Eddie Café (1923-1930), the first Chinese owned western style restaurant and nightclub in Shanghai. This becomes a very famous establishment in Shanghai.
1926: Charles Eddie Hsu acquires his first wholly owned ship, the S.S. Okhotsk, from the remnants of the White Russian Navy fleet in Shanghai on 26 November 1926.
1926: Charles Eddie Hsu incorporates Eddie Aerated Water Company, making a wide variety of popular fizzy drinks. This remained a major business of C. Eddie & Co. for the next 25 years.
1927: Eddie Steamship Co. Ltd. officially incorporated. The Okhotsk is renamed the S.S. Yih Lee and after major renovation work becomes a passenger and general cargo ship trading along the coast of China.
1929: The Chinese government under the signature of Chiang Kai-Shek officially approves Charles Eddie Hsu's plan to develop the Sanmen Bay area (south of Ningbo) into a major new port and industrial area. This project would consume much of C. Eddie & Co.'s time and financial resources over the next 5 years.
1930: Charles Eddie Hsu organize the Lian An Shipping Bureau grouping together six ships (Hsin Yung Chuen 新永川, Chusan 舟山, Chuan Shan穿山, Tah Hsing達興, TaiChow台州, Tah Wah達華) into a cartel to better compete with the much bigger foreign shipping companies on the routes from Shanghai to Haimen, Ningbo, Taichow and Dinghai.
1931: Eddie Steamship acquires the S.S. John Williams, a missionary ship, from Australian interests and converts the ship into a passengers and general cargo ship at the Jiangnan Shipyard for trade along the coast of China.
1932: On 18 August 1932 an inspection tour was organized for domestic and overseas Chinese investors to the Sanmen Bay Project. The large delegation traveled from Shanghai to Sanmen Bay on the S.S. Yih Lee. On this trip the ship served Chinese and Western cuisine and was stocked with Eddie brand flavoured soda drinks for the guests.
1934: Eddie Steamship acquired the cargo ship S.S. H.S. Everett which was renamed the S.S. Yi Sun and was often used to carry coal from Lianyungang in north China to Shanghai.
1935: Due to the instability caused by the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and the Shanghai area in 1932 and the bankruptcy of financier American Oriental Banking Corp. in 1935, C. Eddie & Co.'s Sanmen Bay development project collapsed which caused major financial difficulties to the business group. In 1936 creditors agree to a restructuring.
1937: S.S. Hsin Yung Chuen becomes part of Eddie Steamship fleet. Upon full scale Japanese invasion of China later in the year the ship was put under German flag and renamed the S.S. Kondor to avoid harassment by the Japanese navy.
1938: The SS Yi Sun was loaded with gravel and sunk at Lianyungang by order of the Chinese government to block the Japanese navy from the port. Same was done to the company's SS Ning Hsiang at Ningbo port.
1941: In July the group founder Charles Eddie Hsu passed away.
1942: Due to the Japanese naval blockade of the Ningbo port area, the S.S. Kondor now renamed the S.S. Dah Foong under the Chinese (collaborationist) flag started to trade to ports in the lower Yangtze River region.
1945: Immediately upon the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II, the S.S. Dah Foong was one of the first ships to commence sailings from Shanghai to Ningbo. Because of strong demand this became a very profitable route for the company.
1946: 12th November 1946 Eddie Steamship took delivery of the S.S. Winona a 3500LT DWT cargo ship via Wheelock Marden & Co. The ship was renamed the S.S. Eddie and commenced trade along the coast of China as a pure general cargo vessel.
1949: In the midst of the Chinese civil war, in May this year the S.S. Eddie departed Shanghai and sailed for Keelung, Taiwan, as part of the ROC government's mass evacuation from mainland China. Eddie Steamship Co. Ltd. also relocated to Taipei.
1950: With the start of the Korean War, demand for shipping surged and the S.S. Eddie generated large profits for the company.
1954: Purchased the 4230LT DWT cargo ship S.S. Heng Chun at court auction in Keelung. Ship was renamed the S.S. Polly.
1916: Charles Eddie Hsu becomes the proprietor of the Grill Room restaurant at the Astor House Hotel, the most luxurious hotel in Shanghai at the time.
1922: Charles Eddie Hsu becomes a shipowner being a major shareholder in the S.S. Chusan, a new building constructed at Shanghai Dock and Engineering Co. Ltd. and christened on 12 June 1922, carrying passengers and general cargos between Shanghai, Ningbo, Wenzhou, and his hometown of Dinghai on Zhoushan (Choushan) island.
1923: Charles Eddie Hsu opens the Eddie Café (1923-1930), the first Chinese owned western style restaurant and nightclub in Shanghai. This becomes a very famous establishment in Shanghai.
1926: Charles Eddie Hsu acquires his first wholly owned ship, the S.S. Okhotsk, from the remnants of the White Russian Navy fleet in Shanghai on 26 November 1926.
1926: Charles Eddie Hsu incorporates Eddie Aerated Water Company, making a wide variety of popular fizzy drinks. This remained a major business of C. Eddie & Co. for the next 25 years.
1927: Eddie Steamship Co. Ltd. officially incorporated. The Okhotsk is renamed the S.S. Yih Lee and after major renovation work becomes a passenger and general cargo ship trading along the coast of China.
1929: The Chinese government under the signature of Chiang Kai-Shek officially approves Charles Eddie Hsu's plan to develop the Sanmen Bay area (south of Ningbo) into a major new port and industrial area. This project would consume much of C. Eddie & Co.'s time and financial resources over the next 5 years.
1930: Charles Eddie Hsu organize the Lian An Shipping Bureau grouping together six ships (Hsin Yung Chuen 新永川, Chusan 舟山, Chuan Shan穿山, Tah Hsing達興, TaiChow台州, Tah Wah達華) into a cartel to better compete with the much bigger foreign shipping companies on the routes from Shanghai to Haimen, Ningbo, Taichow and Dinghai.
1931: Eddie Steamship acquires the S.S. John Williams, a missionary ship, from Australian interests and converts the ship into a passengers and general cargo ship at the Jiangnan Shipyard for trade along the coast of China.
1932: On 18 August 1932 an inspection tour was organized for domestic and overseas Chinese investors to the Sanmen Bay Project. The large delegation traveled from Shanghai to Sanmen Bay on the S.S. Yih Lee. On this trip the ship served Chinese and Western cuisine and was stocked with Eddie brand flavoured soda drinks for the guests.
1934: Eddie Steamship acquired the cargo ship S.S. H.S. Everett which was renamed the S.S. Yi Sun and was often used to carry coal from Lianyungang in north China to Shanghai.
1935: Due to the instability caused by the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and the Shanghai area in 1932 and the bankruptcy of financier American Oriental Banking Corp. in 1935, C. Eddie & Co.'s Sanmen Bay development project collapsed which caused major financial difficulties to the business group. In 1936 creditors agree to a restructuring.
1937: S.S. Hsin Yung Chuen becomes part of Eddie Steamship fleet. Upon full scale Japanese invasion of China later in the year the ship was put under German flag and renamed the S.S. Kondor to avoid harassment by the Japanese navy.
1938: The SS Yi Sun was loaded with gravel and sunk at Lianyungang by order of the Chinese government to block the Japanese navy from the port. Same was done to the company's SS Ning Hsiang at Ningbo port.
1941: In July the group founder Charles Eddie Hsu passed away.
1942: Due to the Japanese naval blockade of the Ningbo port area, the S.S. Kondor now renamed the S.S. Dah Foong under the Chinese (collaborationist) flag started to trade to ports in the lower Yangtze River region.
1945: Immediately upon the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II, the S.S. Dah Foong was one of the first ships to commence sailings from Shanghai to Ningbo. Because of strong demand this became a very profitable route for the company.
1946: 12th November 1946 Eddie Steamship took delivery of the S.S. Winona a 3500LT DWT cargo ship via Wheelock Marden & Co. The ship was renamed the S.S. Eddie and commenced trade along the coast of China as a pure general cargo vessel.
1949: In the midst of the Chinese civil war, in May this year the S.S. Eddie departed Shanghai and sailed for Keelung, Taiwan, as part of the ROC government's mass evacuation from mainland China. Eddie Steamship Co. Ltd. also relocated to Taipei.
1950: With the start of the Korean War, demand for shipping surged and the S.S. Eddie generated large profits for the company.
1954: Purchased the 4230LT DWT cargo ship S.S. Heng Chun at court auction in Keelung. Ship was renamed the S.S. Polly.
1956: Eddie Steamship Company (Hong Kong) Limited established.
1957: W.H. Eddie Hsu reconnected with Wheelock Marden & Co., who had moved from Shanghai to Hong Kong, and with their financing assistance purchased the S.S. Nepean Breeze a 6400LT DWT cargo ship which was renamed the S.S. Lisboa. With further financing assistance of Wheelock Marden & Co. the company's fleet grew quickly to over ten ships by the end of the decade.
1959: Acquired the SS Clan Macbeth, a 10,000LT DWT World War II war surplus Liberty type cargo ship. The company owned and operated 14 of these Liberty ships during the 1950's and 1960's.
1960: Eddie Steamship commences the first regular liner service from Taiwan to Europe.
1961: Brothers W.H. Eddie Hsu and V.K. Eddie Hsu decide to part company with W.H. maintaining Eddie Steamship in Taipei and V.K. establishing Oak Steamship in Hong Kong.
1964: Eddie Steamship establishes a branch office, Eddie's Shipping Agency Inc., in New York to look after its expanding cargo interests in North America.
1967: Eddie Steamship's first new building, the MV "Mandarin" christened and launched at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard, Japan. Two further Japanese newbuildings, the Younglly and the Kally, follow in 1968.
1969: The company's first new building in Taiwan, the MV Jeannie 28,000mt dwt bulk carrier, christened and launched at TSBC yard in Keelung on 1 Sept., attended by Defense Minister Chiang Ching-Kuo, Economics Minister Sun Yun-Suen and Finance Minister K.T. Li. This would be the first of ten sisterships built at TSBC between 1969-1977 for Eddie Steamship.
1972: The largest dry cargo vessel ever built by the Taiwan Shipbuilding Corp., the 58,000mt dwt "Panamax World", was delivered to Eddie Steamship. The next year a sistership, the "Panamax Venus" was also delivered to the company.
1976: In support of the government of the Republic of China's "Ten Major Infrastructure Projects", the Eddie Steamship group became the largest private shareholder of the China Shipbuilding Corp. built in Kaohsiung being a 10 percent shareholder in this massive yard with the second largest shipbuilding drydock in the world.
1977: In support of another of the "Ten Major Infrastructure Project", the China Steel Corp., Eddie Steamship signed the steel mill's first long term contract of affreightment to ship all of its iron ore and coal import requirements. To fulfill this contract the company purchased two super large "capesize" class bulker carriers named the "Hwalee" and the "Weilee" both of 113,000mt dwt. One year later in 1978 the company purchased the "Enterprise Transporter" of 145,000mt dwt.
1979: In the wake of the Second World Oil Crisis, the government of the Republic of China ordered Taiwan Power Company, the state electricity monopoly, to reduce its reliance on oil and start the large scale importation of coal. The first long term contract to ship the coal was secured by Eddie Steamship totaling 5 million metric tons from Australia, USA and South Africa. This contract was eventually increased to 20 million metric tons.
1982: To fulfill the huge mineral import requirements of its contracts with China Steel Corp. and Taiwan Power Company, Eddie Steamship purchased an additional 15 "capesize" classed vessels of between 120,000mt dwt to 180,000mt dwt from 1980-1983 including its largest vessel ever, the "Emerald Transporter" of 183,000mt dwt. Company's fleet exceeds 50 ships with total deadweight of more than 4.5 millions tons.
1983: To support the ailing state controlled China Shipbuilding Corp., company was pressured to takeover two high priced bulk carriers, "Panamax Neptune" and "Panamax Cosmos" of 66,000mt dwt each.
1984: Due to a rapid drop in oil prices and a comparable drop in coal prices and coal demand, dry bulk freight rates plunge and Eddie Steamship Group encounters serious financial difficulties. Most of fleet lost to financiers.
1986: After a year of turmoil, the company stabilizes and is back in expansion mode with the acquisition of four capesize and four panamax sized vessels in order to fulfill its contractual obligations to Taiwan Power Company, averaging about 4 million tons per year.
1987: W.H. Eddie Hsu passes away while on a trip to New York. The company continues seamlessly with the hands-on participation of his children.
1957: W.H. Eddie Hsu reconnected with Wheelock Marden & Co., who had moved from Shanghai to Hong Kong, and with their financing assistance purchased the S.S. Nepean Breeze a 6400LT DWT cargo ship which was renamed the S.S. Lisboa. With further financing assistance of Wheelock Marden & Co. the company's fleet grew quickly to over ten ships by the end of the decade.
1959: Acquired the SS Clan Macbeth, a 10,000LT DWT World War II war surplus Liberty type cargo ship. The company owned and operated 14 of these Liberty ships during the 1950's and 1960's.
1960: Eddie Steamship commences the first regular liner service from Taiwan to Europe.
1961: Brothers W.H. Eddie Hsu and V.K. Eddie Hsu decide to part company with W.H. maintaining Eddie Steamship in Taipei and V.K. establishing Oak Steamship in Hong Kong.
1964: Eddie Steamship establishes a branch office, Eddie's Shipping Agency Inc., in New York to look after its expanding cargo interests in North America.
1967: Eddie Steamship's first new building, the MV "Mandarin" christened and launched at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard, Japan. Two further Japanese newbuildings, the Younglly and the Kally, follow in 1968.
1969: The company's first new building in Taiwan, the MV Jeannie 28,000mt dwt bulk carrier, christened and launched at TSBC yard in Keelung on 1 Sept., attended by Defense Minister Chiang Ching-Kuo, Economics Minister Sun Yun-Suen and Finance Minister K.T. Li. This would be the first of ten sisterships built at TSBC between 1969-1977 for Eddie Steamship.
1972: The largest dry cargo vessel ever built by the Taiwan Shipbuilding Corp., the 58,000mt dwt "Panamax World", was delivered to Eddie Steamship. The next year a sistership, the "Panamax Venus" was also delivered to the company.
1976: In support of the government of the Republic of China's "Ten Major Infrastructure Projects", the Eddie Steamship group became the largest private shareholder of the China Shipbuilding Corp. built in Kaohsiung being a 10 percent shareholder in this massive yard with the second largest shipbuilding drydock in the world.
1977: In support of another of the "Ten Major Infrastructure Project", the China Steel Corp., Eddie Steamship signed the steel mill's first long term contract of affreightment to ship all of its iron ore and coal import requirements. To fulfill this contract the company purchased two super large "capesize" class bulker carriers named the "Hwalee" and the "Weilee" both of 113,000mt dwt. One year later in 1978 the company purchased the "Enterprise Transporter" of 145,000mt dwt.
1979: In the wake of the Second World Oil Crisis, the government of the Republic of China ordered Taiwan Power Company, the state electricity monopoly, to reduce its reliance on oil and start the large scale importation of coal. The first long term contract to ship the coal was secured by Eddie Steamship totaling 5 million metric tons from Australia, USA and South Africa. This contract was eventually increased to 20 million metric tons.
1982: To fulfill the huge mineral import requirements of its contracts with China Steel Corp. and Taiwan Power Company, Eddie Steamship purchased an additional 15 "capesize" classed vessels of between 120,000mt dwt to 180,000mt dwt from 1980-1983 including its largest vessel ever, the "Emerald Transporter" of 183,000mt dwt. Company's fleet exceeds 50 ships with total deadweight of more than 4.5 millions tons.
1983: To support the ailing state controlled China Shipbuilding Corp., company was pressured to takeover two high priced bulk carriers, "Panamax Neptune" and "Panamax Cosmos" of 66,000mt dwt each.
1984: Due to a rapid drop in oil prices and a comparable drop in coal prices and coal demand, dry bulk freight rates plunge and Eddie Steamship Group encounters serious financial difficulties. Most of fleet lost to financiers.
1986: After a year of turmoil, the company stabilizes and is back in expansion mode with the acquisition of four capesize and four panamax sized vessels in order to fulfill its contractual obligations to Taiwan Power Company, averaging about 4 million tons per year.
1987: W.H. Eddie Hsu passes away while on a trip to New York. The company continues seamlessly with the hands-on participation of his children.
1988: Eddie Steamship fleet enters the North of England P&I Assoc. and Mr. Chih-Chien Hsu is elected onto its Board of Director (1989-2001).
1988: Acquires two capesize bulk carriers, Ocean Regent and Ocean Mandarin, with financing from Marubeni of Tokyo.
1989: 16th June the company's MV Morning Camellia loads the largest ever shipment of grain exported out of Australia (55,476MT for the Central Queensland Grain Sorghum Marketing Board) from Gladstone, Queensland to Japan.
1990: Secures long term COA contract from Cobelfret of Antwerp, Belgium, to ship coal from Richards Bay, South Africa, to Antwerp/Rotterdam/Amsterdam range in Europe which then positions the company's ships in the Atlantic to load iron ore from Brazil to Taiwan for China Steel Corp.
1991: 11 Feb. Mr. Chih-Chien Hsu elected as Managing Director of the R.O.C. Association of Shipping Services, a semi-official domestic cargo distribution cartel.
1997: Feb. first shipment of coal from mainland China (Qinhuangdao) to Taiwan (Taichung) for state power monopoly Taiwan Power Company carried on the company's MV Hwalee.
2002: Eddie Steamship fleet joins the American Steamship P&I Assoc. and Mr. Chih-Chien Hsu is elected onto its Board of Directors.
2003: Eddie Steamship group becomes major shareholder of Courage Marine Group, a sister bulk shipping company that operated a fleet of ten handysized bulk carriers.
2005: 13 October Courage Marine Group Ltd. is listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange Main Board. Mr. Chih-Chien Hsu serves as its first Chairman of the Board of Directors.
2006: C.C. Hsu elected on to the Board of Directors of China Corporation Register of Shipping of which Eddie Steamship was a founding member in 1952.
2007: Marine Money names Courage Marine First Place among all listed shipping companies in the world for financial performance.
2008: Forbes Asia names Courage Marine "Best Under a Billion" among all small and medium sized listed companies.
2011: June Courage Marine is dual listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
2011: Courage Marine takes delivery of the newbuilding MV Zorina, a 57,000mt dwt supramax bulk carrier, at Zeng Zhou Shipbuilding in Zhoushan, China, the ancestral hometown of the Hsu family. This ship was later long term chartered to the Eddie Steamship group. An exact sistership, the MV Heroic, was delivered in Feb. 2012.
2012: Takes delivery of the newbuilding MV Panamax Universe, a 79,600mt dwt kamsarmax bulk carrier, built at Jinhai Heavy Industries of Zhoushan, China.
2013: Donates the landmark ship anchor monument at the entrance of the National Taiwan Ocean University to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the institution and the many graduates of the university that have served in Eddie Steamship.
2018: Takes delivery of the newbuilding MV Ocean Conqueror, a 64,000mt dwt ultramax bulk carrier, built at the China Merchants Heavy Industry Shipyard at Haimen, China.
2020: Feb. Eddie Steamship becomes joint venture partner with Shandong Shipping Group in the establishment of Shandong Shipping Asset Management Corp. of Hong Kong.
2020: June Eddie Steamship takes delivery of the MV SAMC Eddie, a 175,000mt dwt capesize bulk carrier, which is then chartered to Shandong Shipping Asset Management Corp.
2021: January Eddie Steamship takes delivery of the MV SAMC Transporter, a 207,000mt dwt newcastlemax bulk carrier, which is then chartered to Shandong Shipping Asset Management Corp.. This is the largest ship ever owned by the Eddie Steamship group.
2023: September takes delivery of its first ever LNG carrier "Metagas Everest" of 138,000cbm capacity.
1988: Acquires two capesize bulk carriers, Ocean Regent and Ocean Mandarin, with financing from Marubeni of Tokyo.
1989: 16th June the company's MV Morning Camellia loads the largest ever shipment of grain exported out of Australia (55,476MT for the Central Queensland Grain Sorghum Marketing Board) from Gladstone, Queensland to Japan.
1990: Secures long term COA contract from Cobelfret of Antwerp, Belgium, to ship coal from Richards Bay, South Africa, to Antwerp/Rotterdam/Amsterdam range in Europe which then positions the company's ships in the Atlantic to load iron ore from Brazil to Taiwan for China Steel Corp.
1991: 11 Feb. Mr. Chih-Chien Hsu elected as Managing Director of the R.O.C. Association of Shipping Services, a semi-official domestic cargo distribution cartel.
1997: Feb. first shipment of coal from mainland China (Qinhuangdao) to Taiwan (Taichung) for state power monopoly Taiwan Power Company carried on the company's MV Hwalee.
2002: Eddie Steamship fleet joins the American Steamship P&I Assoc. and Mr. Chih-Chien Hsu is elected onto its Board of Directors.
2003: Eddie Steamship group becomes major shareholder of Courage Marine Group, a sister bulk shipping company that operated a fleet of ten handysized bulk carriers.
2005: 13 October Courage Marine Group Ltd. is listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange Main Board. Mr. Chih-Chien Hsu serves as its first Chairman of the Board of Directors.
2006: C.C. Hsu elected on to the Board of Directors of China Corporation Register of Shipping of which Eddie Steamship was a founding member in 1952.
2007: Marine Money names Courage Marine First Place among all listed shipping companies in the world for financial performance.
2008: Forbes Asia names Courage Marine "Best Under a Billion" among all small and medium sized listed companies.
2011: June Courage Marine is dual listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
2011: Courage Marine takes delivery of the newbuilding MV Zorina, a 57,000mt dwt supramax bulk carrier, at Zeng Zhou Shipbuilding in Zhoushan, China, the ancestral hometown of the Hsu family. This ship was later long term chartered to the Eddie Steamship group. An exact sistership, the MV Heroic, was delivered in Feb. 2012.
2012: Takes delivery of the newbuilding MV Panamax Universe, a 79,600mt dwt kamsarmax bulk carrier, built at Jinhai Heavy Industries of Zhoushan, China.
2013: Donates the landmark ship anchor monument at the entrance of the National Taiwan Ocean University to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the institution and the many graduates of the university that have served in Eddie Steamship.
2018: Takes delivery of the newbuilding MV Ocean Conqueror, a 64,000mt dwt ultramax bulk carrier, built at the China Merchants Heavy Industry Shipyard at Haimen, China.
2020: Feb. Eddie Steamship becomes joint venture partner with Shandong Shipping Group in the establishment of Shandong Shipping Asset Management Corp. of Hong Kong.
2020: June Eddie Steamship takes delivery of the MV SAMC Eddie, a 175,000mt dwt capesize bulk carrier, which is then chartered to Shandong Shipping Asset Management Corp.
2021: January Eddie Steamship takes delivery of the MV SAMC Transporter, a 207,000mt dwt newcastlemax bulk carrier, which is then chartered to Shandong Shipping Asset Management Corp.. This is the largest ship ever owned by the Eddie Steamship group.
2023: September takes delivery of its first ever LNG carrier "Metagas Everest" of 138,000cbm capacity.