DSM Shipbrokers historical backgrounds

DSM Shipbrokers is based in Meppel, one of the smallest seaports in Holland.
Meppel is one of the oldest ports, in the past it was an important gate between the north
part of the Netherlands and the West and direct connected to the IJsselmeer, formerly named Zuiderzee.
Today because of land gaining a bit further from sea,
but still very well accesable for up to 4000 dwt coasters.



SS Meppel II unloading port of Meppel ± 1908

The company was formed by Michael Beyer, a certified sale and purchase broker.
Michael Beyer is a 4rd generation member of a family, which has been active in the shippingbusiness allready since early 1800.

DSM is the abreviation of Drentsche Stoomboot Maatschappij, in English the "Drentsche Steamship Company",
which was founded in 1800 and stopped activities just before WW II, when steamships were no longer in need.
DSM Shipbrokers is now the trading name of Shiptrade.
Shiptrade takes care of sale and purchase of commercial ships.


Newbuilding of the Meppel II at a shipyard in Amsterdam 1904.

In the old times, regular sailings were offered between Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the main seaports in the Netherlands,
and the inland ports Enkhuizen, Urk, Meppel and even
further to inland destinations as Assen, Kampen and Zwolle.
Both cargo and passenger transport have been taken care off with the Vessels Meppel I and Meppel II but also many others of a fleet of ± 26 vessels.

It seems that the shippingbusiness is in men's blood without being aware of that.
After 25 years of trading as exporter from Holland, active in all parts of worldwide
commodity and goodstransactions,
buying and selling small coasters and fishingvessels was done as a hobby next to the job.
When the hobby grew to nearly professional sizes mr. Beyer decided to specialize in the sale of ships.

The combination of having knowledge of the worlds trade and experience in financial transactions,
having contacts worldwide, having the juridicall skills and his personal drive seemed the right mix for acting as a sale and purchase broker.
(Michael Beyer is the first fully certified S&P broker in deepsea vessels in the Netherlands.)
Todays activities are varying from small dry cargo coasters and tugs to panamax bulkers and larger crude carriers.

SS Meppel II at the Zuiderzee near the Isle of Urk 1908 heading Amsterdam.

Today in the 21st century, DSM shipbrokers is fully equiped with the latest communication technologies and connected to most important databases
 to enable quick and smooth transactions for and with our worldwide relations and businessfriends.
To be recognised as modern actors, one of our marketing instruments is this webpage.

Although we are a very modern company now a days, some things are still done as in the past;
The connection with our relations; we consider them as our friends !
We inform our relations, no matter if they are the buyers or the sellers in a transaction,
of all matters that we have knowledge of and what should be kept in mind.
This may be very old fashioned, but we are proud that we are able to keep it this way
and we will keep it for the next decades. 

You can be very sure of that !