Tomas Marutz and Dr. Walter Klausmann (both CEOs of HDW-Gaarden), the godmother Georgina H. Rodriguez and her husband Gustavo Rodriguez (CEO and president of the Maruba Group), Helmut Ponath (CEO and President of NSB Niederelbe Schiffahrtsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, Buxtehude) and Dirk Schildwächter (Managing Partner of GEBAB, Meerbusch) (Photo Credit: Peter Lühr / ThyssenKrupp Marine System)
On September 8, the first of a series of five 2,700 TEU container ships was launched and christened Marupa Europa in Kiel at HDW-Gaarden – a company of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The launch was performed by Georgina H. Rodriguez Vazquez, the wife of Gustavo
Rodriguez, CEO and president of the Maruba Group. The ship was ordered by GEBAB in Meerbusch and will be operated by the shipping line NSB Niederelbe Schiffahrtsgesellschaft
mbH & Co. KG, Buxtehude. The ship had already been handed over to the shipping line the day before. Upon request of the shipping line, the ship was handed over earlier than scheduled. The remaining four ships will be delivered by the end of 2008.