About Buries Markes
The company was formed in 1930 and their first ship purchased in 1932. However, due to the freight depression this ship was laid up in the River Fal for the next two years and was then sold. The company remained dormant until 1938 when it was revived as the London branch of the French company Louis Dreyfus. Two ships were lost to enemy action during the second world war, but the company expanded rapidly after 1945 with the purchase of several tramp ships. In 1958 Buries Markes entered the bulk ore carrying trade and in 1969 joined with Mowinckel and K. G. Jebsen of Norway to form the Gearbulk consortium. The same year, the company also took delivery of its first coastal oil tankers and from 1974 entered the chemical tanker trade. Due to a dramatic slump in shipping Louis Dreyfus decided that they must reduce their exposure in shipping and of course this fell heavily on Buries Markes in London. In 1990 the Chemical Tankers were sold to Stolt Neilsen, the Gearbulk ships were sold to K.G.Jebson, one of the Norwegian partners in the main Gearbulk Consortium and the remaining bulk carriers were transferred to the Paris Management.