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Chargeurs Réunis (Shipping company, France)

Presentation of Chargeurs Réunis
House flag of Chargeurs Réunis

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Presentation of Chargeurs Réunis

Chargeurs Réunis was founded in Le Havre in 1872. Twenty-five years later, the company owned 35 ships. They transported each year some 470,000 tons cargo and 13,600 passengers (data for 1891). Their lines linked Le Havre to the coast of West Africa, Brazil, Argentina and New York.
In 1916, Chargeurs Réunis took the control of Compagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique, which operated big, modern liners owned by the French state on the Bordeaux-Brazil-Plata line.

In 1927, the Fabre family raided Chargeurs Réunis via an hostile tender offer, a procedure which was very uncommon at that time. Paul Cyprien Fabre presided the Fabre company, whereas Léon Cyprien Fabre and his associate Alexis Baptifaut presided Chargeurs Réunis.
The group invested in air transport in 1933. After an unsuccessful attempt to take over Aéropostale, the group founded Aéromaritime. In 1937, Chargeurs Réunis, still directed by Léon Fabre and Alexis Baptifaut, seceded from Fabre.

After the Second World War, the Chargeurs fleet was reduced to some 15 ships. The company was presided by Francis Cyprien Fabre. Between 1964 and 1976, the company took over several French ship owners, including Fabre, Fraissinet, Société Générale des Transports Maritimes, Paquet and Union Navale.

In 1979, Chargeurs Réunis was involved in several branches of international transport, including:

maritime bulk and container shipping , transport of passengers, cars and gas
port agency
air transport, with a 63% interest in the carrier UTA
the UTH chain of 17 international hotels

The company operated 64 ships, 40 under its flag and 24 in association with Delmas-Vieljeux. It was then the third European transport company.

In January 1980, Jérôme Seydoux took the control of Chargeurs Réunis and progressively sold off all the branches of the group. In 1990, the whole fleet had been sold and UTA was taken over by Air France.

Source: Fabre family website

Ivan Sache, 23 January 2005

According to Lloyds the company was formed 1886 as Compagnie Française de Navigation à Vapeur Chargeurs Réunis changing to Compagnie Maritime des Chargeurs Réunis and then in 1988 to Chargeurs S.A., disappearing by 2000. There are a couple of other variation in sundry books with most referring simply to Chargeurs Réunis.

Neale Rosanoski, 25 December 2002

House flag of Chargeurs Réunis

by Ivan Sache

The first houseflag of Chargeurs Réunis is white with five red stars placed 2+1+2.

Ivan Sache, 5 November 2002

by Ivan Sache

The actual flag was changed apparently towards the end with the addition in the hoist of a red oblong placed vertically by Brown 1995 but slanting slightly per bend sinister.

Neale Rosanoski, 25 December 2002