Harper Petersen is responding to the crisis by building up its competitive shipbroking business.

Joint managing directors Simon Aust and Jim Davis run one of the biggest tonnage providers in Germany, Harper Petersen, with the goal of growing its bulker and containership pools. For more than 10 years, it has been linked to the broking of vessels managed by brothers Bertram and Erck Rickmers and Harper Petersen is using this as a base to further its reach.