Home/ About Us/ History BW Group History ▼ Small Beginnings Riding the Waves Entering Turbulent Waters Treading Water and Renewal A New identity BW Group Fleet Privacy Statement History In 1955, Yue-Kong (Y.K.) Pao bought his first vessel, a 27-year-old coal-burning freighter renamed the Golden Alpha. Twenty-five years later, the company house flag was flying on board nearly 200 vessels, the largest fleet ever assembled in private ownership. In 1978, Y.K. Pao was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, and in 2003 he was selected by readers of shipping magazine Fairplay as “the most influential person in shipping in 120 years”. Today, the BW Group remains a major player in the maritime industry, managing the world’s largest privately owned fleet of Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs) and the second largest fleet of Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units. 1950s: Small Beginnings Sir Y.K. Pao (Pao Yue-kong, 1918-1991) rose from modest origins and started his shipping empire with HK$20,000 which he and his family brought from Shanghai when they moved to Hong Kong. A modest start began with the purchase of a 8,200 DWT coal carrier renamed the "Golden Alpha". READ MORE > 1960s-1970s: Riding the Waves Post-war industrialization propelled World-Wide’s rapid growth. By 1979, World-Wide had a fleet of over 200 vessels, managing the largest independently-owned bulk shipping fleet in the world with a total tonnage of 20.5 million DWT. READ MORE > 1980s: Entering Turbulent Waters World-Wide adapts to changing business environment. Sir Y.K. Pao retired in 1986, and his son-in-law Dr Helmut Sohmen became Chairman of World-Wide Shipping. Sohmen continued his father-in-law’s disciplined approach to business. READ MORE > 1990s: Treading Water and Renewal In the 1990s, the market languished. With little optimism in the short term, some owners started to consider leaving the market. The decade culminated with the purchase of N&T Argonaut. READ MORE > 2000s: A New Identity In 2003, World-Wide acquired Norway's Bergesen d.y. ASA, the world’s largest gas carrier operator. Bergesen Worldwide was established in October 2003, and re-branded BW in 2005. BW Group continues to be a leading player in the maritime industry. READ MORE > ABOUT US BW Group History BW Group Fleet Privacy Statement OUR PEOPLE Board of Directors Management Committee Our Values Careers SAFETY Security Emergency Response Zero Harm Campaign SUSTAINABILITY Environment CSR OUR BUSINESS BW Offshore BW LPG BW Pacific BW LNG BW VLCC BW Chemical Tankers BW Dry Cargo BW Fleet Management NEWS Press Releases World Horizon Image Gallery INVESTORS BW LPG Investor Relations BW Offshore Investor Relations Register for Access © 2017 BW Group | All Rights Reserved | For best viewing experience please use IE 8 and above.