Eimskip
Corporate brand
UnclaimedIcelandic international shipping and freight-forwarding company.
Last updated October 16, 2026
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Overview
Eimskip, formally Eimskipafélag Íslands hf., is an Icelandic international shipping and logistics company founded in 1914. Its name means, broadly, the Iceland Steamship Company, while the trading name Eimskip translates as “steamship.” The company was created through a public share issue on 17 January 1914 and attracted approximately 14,000 shareholders, a participation level equivalent to about 15 percent of Iceland’s population at the time. This broad civic ownership helped give the enterprise an unusually prominent place in Icelandic economic and national life; it was popularly described as the “favourite child of the nation.” Sveinn Björnsson, later Iceland’s first president, served as the company’s first board chairman. Eimskip’s core business is international cargo transportation and freight forwarding, with a particular emphasis on temperature-sensitive commodities. Its logistics activities support the movement of frozen and chilled goods through ocean transport, forwarding services, warehousing, and cold-storage infrastructure. The company’s operating model therefore extends beyond the ownership or operation of ships: it also connects maritime routes with inland logistics, storage, and distribution services in several regions. Reference material describes a network of 56 offices in 20 countries spanning Europe, North America, South America, and Asia, together with 42 warehouses and cold-storage facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company operates a fleet of seven vessels and has also been involved in passenger transport. Its passenger ferry activities include Baldur and Særún. Eimskip’s cargo network has a particular strategic importance for Iceland because maritime transport is essential to the country’s connection with overseas suppliers and markets. The company’s services also cover routes and logistics relationships involving Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Scandinavia, and wider European and North American markets. A notable recent fleet development was the 2020 delivery of Dettifoss and Brúarfoss. These vessels were described as Eimskip’s newest and most environmentally friendly ships at the time. They operate in collaboration with the Greenlandic shipping company Royal Arctic Line, connecting Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Scandinavia. This cooperation reflects Eimskip’s role both as an Iceland-centred carrier and as a participant in a broader North Atlantic logistics network. Historically, Eimskip also became a major player in cold-chain infrastructure. Reference material notes that the company was once the world’s largest owner of cold-storage facilities, with more than 180 such facilities across five continents. The company’s current profile is more specifically that of an integrated shipping, forwarding, warehousing, and temperature-controlled logistics provider. Overall, Eimskip is positioned as an Icelandic transport and supply-chain brand whose main strengths are maritime connectivity, specialized handling of frozen and chilled cargo, and a logistics network spanning the North Atlantic and international markets.
History
Eimskipafélag Íslands was established on 17 January 1914 through the issuance of public shares. The founding capital campaign drew participation from approximately 14,000 Icelanders, representing about 15 percent of the population at the time. This unusually broad shareholder base made the company more than a conventional commercial venture in the public imagination. It was widely regarded as a national enterprise and became known by the Icelandic expression “óskabarn þjóðarinnar,” meaning the favourite child of the nation. Sveinn Björnsson was the first chairman of the board. He later became the first president of Iceland, linking the company’s early institutional history with the country’s emerging national leadership. The company’s creation addressed Iceland’s need for dependable maritime links with foreign markets and suppliers. Over time, Eimskip developed from an Icelandic steamship company into a broader transport and logistics organization. Its modern business encompasses international shipping, freight forwarding, warehousing, and cold-storage services. The company has concentrated particularly on frozen and chilled commodities, requiring coordinated transport and temperature-controlled handling. Reference material identifies 56 offices in 20 countries across Europe, North America, South America, and Asia, as well as 42 warehouses and cold-storage sites in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company was also described historically as having owned more than 180 cold-storage facilities across five continents, at one point making it the largest owner of such facilities in the world. Eimskip’s maritime operations include seven vessels. In 2020, it received Dettifoss and Brúarfoss, characterized as its newest and most environmentally friendly vessels. Their operations are conducted in collaboration with Royal Arctic Line, extending the company’s network across Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Scandinavia. Alongside freight transport, Eimskip operates passenger ferries including Baldur and Særún. The company’s development reflects the changing role of maritime transport in Iceland. Its original purpose was closely associated with national access to shipping; its later role has involved integrated international logistics, specialized cold-chain services, and regional cooperation in the North Atlantic. Eimskip remains an active Icelandic shipping brand with operations extending across several continents and a service mix centered on cargo movement, forwarding, storage, and selected passenger transport.
- 2020
Dettifoss and Brúarfoss enter the fleet
[1]Eimskip receives two vessels described as its newest and most environmentally friendly ships, operated in cooperation with Royal Arctic Line.
- 1914
Eimskip is founded
[1]Eimskipafélag Íslands is established on 17 January through a public share issue supported by approximately 14,000 Icelandic shareholders.
- 1914
Sveinn Björnsson becomes first board chairman
[1]Sveinn Björnsson serves as the company’s first chairman of the board; he later becomes Iceland’s first president.
Products and positioning
An Icelandic, internationally connected maritime logistics provider specializing in freight forwarding and temperature-controlled cargo, with additional passenger ferry operations.
Maritime shipping
International ocean freight
Eimskip’s principal offering is the movement of commercial cargo by sea through an international network centered on Iceland and extending across Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. Its shipping activities also support North Atlantic connections involving Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Scandinavia. The service is especially relevant to customers whose goods require coordinated ocean transport and onward logistics.
Cold-chain logistics
Frozen and chilled cargo logistics
Eimskip specializes in logistics for frozen and chilled commodities. This business combines maritime transportation with forwarding, storage, and handling capabilities intended for temperature-sensitive goods. The offering addresses supply chains in which preserving cargo condition from origin through destination is as important as the physical movement of the shipment.
Logistics services
Freight forwarding
The company provides worldwide freight-forwarding services that complement its shipping operations. Freight forwarding allows Eimskip to coordinate cargo movements across transport legs and markets rather than limiting its role to vessel carriage. The service is part of the company’s integrated approach to international supply-chain management.
Logistics infrastructure
Warehousing and cold storage
Eimskip operates warehouses and cold-storage facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia. These sites provide storage and handling capacity for cargo moving through the company’s international logistics network. Reference material identifies 42 such facilities in the current operating description and notes the company’s earlier ownership of more than 180 cold-storage facilities across five continents.
Passenger transport
Passenger ferries Baldur and Særún
In addition to cargo and logistics activities, Eimskip operates passenger transport ferries named Baldur and Særún. These vessels represent a passenger-service component within a business otherwise primarily identified with international shipping, freight forwarding, and cold-chain logistics.
Brand decisions
2020
Fleet introduction of Dettifoss and BrúarfossProduct launchBackground
Eimskip required additional or renewed vessel capacity for its North Atlantic shipping network and introduced two ships described as its newest and most environmentally friendly vessels.
Action taken
The company received Dettifoss and Brúarfoss and operated them in collaboration with Royal Arctic Line on services between Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Scandinavia.
Aftermath
The vessels strengthened Eimskip’s regional network and became a notable part of its stated fleet and environmental profile.
Recent events
Sources3 sources
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