Matson Navigation Company reached a
major milestone in the U.S. maritime industry in celebrating 125 years of Pacific shipping. The company was launched on April 10, 1882 when Captain William Matson sailed his three-masted schooner Emma Claudina from San Francisco Bay to Hilo, Hawaii, carrying 300 tons of food, plantation supplies and general merchandise. That voyage launched a company that has been involved in such diversified interests as oil exploration, hotels and tourism, military service during two world wars and even briefly, the airline business. Throughout its history, Matson has served Hawaii continuously and today remains the state's leading ocean carrier, serving all of the major ports of the Islands. In addition to Hawaii, Matson serves Guam and Micronesia and has a weekly service from Ningbo and Shanghai to Long Beach. Its subsidiary, Matson Integrated Logistics, is recognized as one of the top ten logistics companies in the U.S.
Matson plans to celebrate its anniversary in a number of ways throughout the year, including special events with employees and customers. The company will be featured in several leading transportation publications and will introduce a special 125th anniversary online timeline on its website next month.