Matson Logistics Inc. history

In 1887, Captain Matson sold Emma Claudina and acquired the brigantine Lurline, which more than doubled the former vessel’s carrying capacity.

When Captain Matson died in 1917 at 67, the Matson fleet comprised 14 of the largest, fastest and most modern ships in the Pacific passenger-freight service.

With increasing passenger traffic to Hawaii, Matson built a world-class luxury liner, the S.S. Malolo, in 1927.

Matson freighters in 1940 had been reduced to 14 by wartime losses or sale to the Government.

Immediately after the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the passenger liners Lurline, Matsonia, Mariposa, and Monterey, and 33 Matson freighters were called to military service.

Matson’s containerization program for Hawaii was the product of its in-house research department, which was established in 1956 and was the first of its kind in the industry.

The container freight system that Matson introduced to Hawaii in 1958 was a product of years of careful research and resulted in the development of a number of industry innovations that became models worldwide.

Concurrently, shoreside innovations were introduced, including the world’s first A-frame gantry crane, which was erected in 1959 in Alameda, California and became the prototype for container cranes.

In 1992, the diesel-powered containership MV R. J. Pfeiffer was constructed and joined the Matson fleet.

In 2003, the company was renamed Matson Integrated Logistics in recognition of its continued growth and expanded service offerings.

In April 2007 Matson celebrated 125 years as a leader in Pacific shipping.

Matson launched Matson South Pacific (MSP) in 2013 after it acquired Auckland, New Zealand-based, Reef Shipping.

Despite a down year in ocean shipping markets, profits at Hawaii-based Matson jumped 46 percent year-over-year to $103 million in 2015 following the carrier’s expansion into the Alaska trade.

The company’s third party logistics division, Matson Logistics, saw declining revenues and operating income last year, but the company said it anticipates a modest increase in operating income in 2016.