Rooted in Tradition. Driven by Innovation.
About EUROKAI
What began in 1961 as a family business in Hamburg is now one of Europe’s leading private terminal operator groups. With strategic vision and entrepreneurial continuity, EUROKAI has developed into an international financial holding company with interests in the CONTSHIP Italia and EUROGATE groups.
Since its realignment in 1999, the focus has been on managing and developing investments in the container logistics sector. Together with our partners, we operate container terminals in central European EUROKAI stands for sustainable growth, stable ownership structures, and ports and offer intermodal transport and complementary services with a clear mission: to actively shape the future of European container handling along the supply chain.
Management Board
Chairman of the Management Board
Thomas H. Eckelmann has been leading EUROKAI as Chairman of the Management Board since 1986. After studying business administration in Zurich and Hamburg, he gained international experience in finance, freight forwarding, and shipping before joining the family business in 1980. Under his leadership, EUROKAI developed into one of the largest private terminal operator groups in Europe. A milestone in his entrepreneurial career was the founding of the joint venture EUROGATE with the BLG Logistics Group.
Member of the Management Board
Tom Eckelmann has been a member of the EUROKAI Group’s management board since 2023. Following his studies in Edinburgh and London, he gained international experience in liner shipping and infrastructure in Singapore and London. He has held various management positions within the group since 2012, including Managing Director of EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg. He has been Co-Chairman of the EUROGATE Group Management Board since 2023. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Contship Italia S.p.A.
Supervisory Board
Chairman of the Supervisory Board
Attorney-at-law, Hamburg
Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board
Member of the Management Board of Allianz SE, Munich and
Chairman of the Management Board of Allianz Deutschland AG, Munich
Commercial Employee at EUROGATE GmbH & Co. KGaA, KG, Bremen
Personally Liable Partner of Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG, Hamburg
Chartered accountant and independent management consultant, Tala, Cyprus
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Jahr Holding GmbH (Jahr Group – Family Office), Hamburg
Professor of Accounting, Auditing and Sustainability, Hamburg
Banker, Hamburg
History
EUROKAI looks back on over six decades of entrepreneurship, growth, and foresight. Founded in 1961 by Kurt Eckelmann as a port operator in Hamburg, EUROKAI has developed into the largest private terminal operator group in Europe.
The foundation for international growth was laid early on with the company going public in 1984, entering the international terminal business in Italy and Portugal, and establishing intermodal networks.
The year 1999 marked a turning point: the establishment of the EUROGATE joint venture with the BLG Logistics Group and the acquisition of a majority stake in Contship Italia made EUROKAI a leading player in European container handling.
Since then, new locations have been added throughout Europe and North Africa – from Ravenna and Tangier to Wilhelmshaven, Limassol, and Damietta. One thing has remained the same throughout: the entrepreneurial commitment to actively shaping the future of logistics.
Eckelmann – Port Entrepreneurs Since 1865
For over 150 years, the name Eckelmann has shaped the development of the Port of Hamburg. Originating from a barge-operating business in the age of sailing ships, the family continues to stand for entrepreneurial foresight, Hanseatic values, and a lived tradition of innovation.
Kurt Eckelmann, founder of EUROKAI, was a pioneer of container handling in Hamburg and a co-architect of the ISO standard container – a milestone in global logistics. In his honor, the street at today’s company headquarters bears his name.
With each generation, the tradition of renewal has been carried forward. Today, Thomas and Tom Eckelmann lead the group as a modern logistics network with international container terminals – while remaining true to the values of the honorable Hanseatic merchant.
The new container terminal in Damietta is scheduled to begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2025. With a total operational capacity of 3.3 million TEUs, the Damietta Alliance Container Terminal is being developed as a strategic transshipment hub for Hapag-Lloyd in the Eastern Mediterranean.
On March 6, 2024, Cecilia Eckelmann-Battistello, long-time Managing Director of EUROKAI and President of the Contship Italia Group, passed away at the age of 73.
On July 1, 2023, Tom H. Eckelmann joined the management of EUROKAI in 6th generation and simultaneously assumed the role of Co-Chairman of the Group Management Board of EUROGATE from his father, Thomas H. Eckelmann.
Hapag-Lloyd acquires APMT’s shares in the EUROGATE Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven (CTW) and the Rail Terminal Wilhelmshaven (RTW), now holding 30% of CTW and 50% of RTW.
In May 2022, a consortium comprising Hapag-Lloyd (39%), EUROGATE (29.5%), Contship Italia (29.5%), and two local partners (2%) is granted a concession by the Egyptian government to develop and operate the Damietta Alliance Container Terminal in Damietta, Egypt.
EUROGATE sells its 16.34% stake in Liscont Operadores de Contentores S.A., a container terminal in Lisbon, Portugal, to Turkish port and terminal operator Yilport.
On January 1, 2021, Tanger Alliance – also known as TC3 in TangerMed II – commenced operations, marking the second terminal site in Tangier, Morocco. The terminal is operated by a consortium of EUROGATE, Contship Italia, Marsa Maroc, and Hapag-Lloyd.
Following the departure of Hapag-Lloyd as the last anchor customer at the Cagliari International Container Terminal (CICT) in Sardinia, Contship Italia decides to withdraw from the terminal. Transition programs for affected employees are finalized.
Contship Italia sells its 50% stake in CSM Italia Gate, the holding company of Medcenter Container Terminal in Gioia Tauro, to Terminal Investment Ltd., the terminal division of MSC.
In April, the Cypriot Ministry of Transport and EUROGATE sign a contract for the takeover of the Limassol Container Terminal. The consortium partners are EUROGATE International (60%) and ZIRANDO Investments Ltd. (40%). With this strategic addition, EUROGATE is now present throughout the Mediterranean region.
On September 21, 2012, the EUROGATE Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven, the first and only deep-water container terminal on Germany’s North Sea coast, is officially commissioned. The “Maersk Laguna” is the first ship to call. The terminal begins with 1,000 meters of quay wall in its first construction phase, followed by an additional 725 meters commissioned in August 2013.
The Ust-Luga Container Terminal, in which EUROGATE has held a 20% stake since 2007, begins operations on December 29, 2011. The remaining 80% is owned by National Container Company, Russia’s leading container terminal operator.
The consortium of EUROGATE, Contship Italia, CMA CGM, and MSC receives the operating concession in 2005 for TC2 container terminal in Tangier, Morocco. Construction begins in 2006, and operations start in 2008 at this strategically located site on the Strait of Gibraltar.
At Bremerhaven, the new CT4 terminal section is completed. The quay wall is extended by one-third to 4,680 meters, expanding the terminal area to 2.9 million m², with an overall handling capacity of 9 million TEUs.
Contship Italia acquires 92% of CICT–Cagliari International Container Terminal in Sardinia. CICT becomes the second transshipment hub of the Mediterranean network, alongside Gioia Tauro. Hapag-Lloyd is a key customer.
The port city of Ravenna on the Italian Adriatic is integrated into the European network. Contship Italia acquires a 30% stake in TCR–Terminal Contenitori Ravenna.
On November 16, 2001, the private rail freight company BoxXpress is founded. Shareholders include EUROGATE Intermodal GmbH, ERS Railways GmbH, and TX Logistik AG.
EUROGATE is founded as a 50:50 joint venture between EUROKAI and BLG Logistic Group. Thomas Eckelmann becomes Chairman of the Group Management Board of EUROGATE.
EUROKAI acquires the remaining 66.6% of Contship Italia from the founder’s family and becomes the group’s holding company. Contship Italia includes Medcenter Container Terminal in Gioia Tauro, La Spezia Container Terminal, intermodal transport company Sogemar (Milan), and a partial stake in United Feeder Services (Limassol).
Cecilia Eckelmann-Battistello becomes a member of the management board of EUROKAI.
On December 27, 1994, Kurt Eckelmann, founder and Honorary Chairman of EUROKAI’s Supervisory Board, passes away at the age of 78.
Dr. Angelo Ravano, founder of Contship Italia, also passes away in 1994.
An agreement with the Italian government is signed for the development of the Gioia Tauro container terminal.
Contship Italia acquires a 50% stake in Salerno Container Terminal and the intermodal transport company Sogemar.
Cecilia Eckelmann-Battistello becomes the first female president of the IPBCC, the oldest shipping conference between the UK, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon).
The Waltershof port area is expanded through the acquisition of neighboring Holzmüller Seehafenbetrieb KGaA and its stevedoring unit PAETZ & Co.
The La Spezia Container Terminal (LSCT) begins operations at the Molo Fornelli in the port of La Spezia.
On August 3, 1986, Thomas H. Eckelmann becomes Chairman of the EUROKAI KGaA Management Board, succeeding his father Kurt Eckelmann.
Two years after receiving the license to build and operate a container terminal in Lisbon, Portugal, Liscont Operadores de Contentores S.A. begins operations.
EUROKAI KGaA launches preferred shares on the stock exchange, offering a 5 percent preferred dividend.
At the same time, EUROKAI acquires a 33.4 percent stake in Contship SA, based in La Spezia, Lugano.
The EUROKAI Container Terminal is put into operation. The group is expanded with the subsidiaries ReMain (Repair and Maintenance of Containers), SEACONFOR (Seaport Container Forwarding), EUROKAI City Terminal, EUROKAI Land Terminal, and SWOP (Seaworthy Packing).
On March 16, Kurt Eckelmann founds EUROKAI KGaA. This marks the move ashore with the goal of establishing a cargo handling operation. The concept is oriented towards a multi-purpose terminal to participate in the emerging container transport sector.