History
Sailing ships were still in use when the Clarksons story began in 1852. The business expanded rapidly, thanks to the dynamic leadership which has characterised Clarksons from then until the present day.
Becoming exclusive brokers to Esso in the USA in the 1920s helped establish Clarksons as the biggest tanker brokers in the world. We have since developed into a global conglomerate establishing a network of offices across five continents, providing an array of financial as well as port services, based on our core business of shipbroking and the provision of market intelligence - unrivalled in its scope - on the shipping and offshore industries.
Overseas expansion
The Company’s first foothold overseas was in New York in 1956. This was followed by offices in France, Australia and Germany and, in the 1960s, in South Africa and Greece. Expansion in the Far East began in the 1990s when, through Clarkson Asia, companies were established in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. The past decade has seen an even more significant expansion, increasing the number of Clarksons offices to 26, spread across five continents.