Limassol-based maritime professional and investor Jesper Weller has acquired Berg & Larsen, a Danish maritime supplier founded more than 230 years ago, linking Cyprus’ shipping centre with one of Denmark’s oldest maritime businesses. 

The ownership transition sees Weller take over the company from Soren Kristiansen, who has owned and led the business for the past 20 years. However, Kristiansen will remain as chief executive, providing continuity as Berg & Larsen begins its next phase.  

Founded in Copenhagen’s Nyhavn district in 1794, Berg & Larsen has operated through more than two centuries of change in shipping. Today, it supplies technical spare parts for essential equipment aboard commercial vessels, serving shipowners, managers and operators internationally.  

Under Kristiansen’s ownership, the company expanded beyond its traditional Danish market and developed a wider international customer base. Meanwhile, the company said its strategy under Weller would focus on further international expansion, attracting new customers and developing its product range in line with the changing requirements of global shipping.  

Weller said he was taking over the business with “great respect” for Kristiansen’s achievements and the work of the company’s employees. 

“The strength of Berg & Larsen has always been its people, its competence and the trust it has earned from customers throughout the maritime world,” he said, adding that his ambition was to build on those strengths while ensuring the company continued to develop alongside its customers. 

A qualified marine engineer and former seafarer, Weller has worked across both onboard and shore-based maritime operations. He is also the founder and chief executive of AQUAREX International, a maritime water purification and beverage solutions business established in 2020 and rooted in Cyprus and Denmark.  

The acquisition also carries a personal connection for Weller, whose family has used Berg & Larsen’s services for generations. 

He said the company had served at least three generations of his family, all of whom worked as seafarers for Danish shipping companies. Throughout their careers, he said, Berg & Larsen was a trusted supplier whenever their vessels required technical spare parts and, in earlier years, even products such as “sugar and rum”. 

“It is with great humility and respect for the many generations before me that I assume the ownership of this remarkable company,” Weller said. 

Kristiansen said he was proud to transfer ownership to someone who understood the maritime industry and shared the values on which the business had been built. 

He added that Weller’s technical background, international outlook and respect for the company’s heritage gave him confidence that Berg & Larsen would continue to grow for years to come. 

While the ownership has changed, Kristiansen’s continued role as chief executive is expected to support a smooth transition. At the same time, Weller’s Limassol base gives the historic Danish supplier a stronger link to Cyprus’ international maritime community as it seeks to expand its presence in global shipping.