Background
Every year more than 15 million people travel to their destination with Stena Line. The company operates Europe’s most comprehensive route network, with 35 vessels on 17 strategically located routes in Scandinavia and the UK, including six routes out of the UK to Ireland and the continent. Despite being the largest ferry operator in Europe and one of the largest in the world, Stena Line is still owned by the Swedish Olsson family who founded the company in 1962.

UK routes
In the UK Stena Line offers two daily crossings on its Harwich to Hook of Holland route, transporting over 450,000 passengers per year, as well as over 30 daily crossings on its four different routes to Ireland (Cairnryan to Belfast, Holyhead to Dublin, Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire and Fishguard to Rosslare) providing fast and efficient crossings with excellent onboard services and facilities.

UK fleet
During 2010 Stena Line will introduce the two largest Superferries in the world on its Harwich – Hook of Holland route. The brand new ships will mean Stena Line operates the most modern route anywhere in the world and is a result of the largest ever investment by Stena Line of over £375 million. The Stena Hollandica launches on 16 May 2010 with the Stena Britannica following in autumn 2010.

On the Irish Sea routes, Stena Line operates a mixture of high-speed and conventional vessels and offers a contemporary maritime experience with outstanding service. The operator has also invested substantial amounts in its Irish Sea operations over the past years, constructing a new £37m terminal in Belfast, adding a new vessel to its route between Scotland and Northern Ireland, announcing the construction of a new £200m Scottish port in Loch Ryan and spending over £9m on the refit and refurbishment of ships across its four routes to Ireland.

Onboard all Stena Line ferries passengers enjoy a host of facilities from fine dining to food on the go, cinemas, children’s play areas and shopping. For those looking for extra comfort during their journey, Stena Line offers its exclusive Stena Plus Lounge. Stena Plus customers benefit from express boarding and access to spacious onboard lounges with complimentary snacks, drinks and newspapers.

Company vision – being number one
Stena Line’s vision is to be the number one ferry company in the world and always customers’ first choice for ferry travel. Its greatest strength is its superior route network, which serves the major traffic flows in Northern Europe. Combined with the company’s commitment to constantly developing its products and service network through the acquisition of new routes, this positions Stena Line as a market leader in its operational markets.

Passengers are well informed about travel options, prices and offers and as a result expect high levels of service from their transport operator. Stena Line works hard to offer the customer a positive experience throughout the entire service chain, from initial booking and onboard facilities to final services at the destination. It is this ability to meet and exceed customer expectations that Stena Line believes positions it as the number one choice in ferry travel.

Company performance
The global recession, increased competition from airline and rail links and rising fuel costs are all factors affecting today’s ferry industry. However, in spite of these and with renewed interest in the value of ferry travel and its greener travelling credentials, Stena Line has continued to enjoy positive growth, with confidence in future levels of passenger, car and freight business shown by its current high investment programme. An expanding route network, a greater variety of onboard services and the development of package and recreational trips have brought larger volumes and new customer groups to Stena Line.

Stena Line’s revenue and business areas
Stena Line’s activities comprise four business areas: Scandinavia, North Sea, Irish Sea and freight, with total sales recorded at 9.6 billion SEK for 2009. [previously - 9 billion SEK in 2004 (£635million)]. Revenue comes from three areas: travel, onboard activities and freight/port. Travel (passenger ticket sales, package trips, cars and caravans) along with onboard activities (restaurant, shops and games etc) represent 55 per cent (previously - 55 per cent of total sales). Freight/port services (goods transport, forwarding services and port activities) represent 45 per cent (previously - 45 per cent of total sales)

Transport volumes 2009

• 1962 Sten A. Olsson acquires Skagenline.
  
  
• 1982 Stena Line merges with Sessanline. Acquisition of Lion Ferry and the Varberg-Grenaa route.
  
  
• 1980s Stena Line improves the quality of its onshore and onboard services and supplements its transport activities with travel services such as hotel accommodation, conferences and bus travel.
  
  
• 1898 Stena Line acquires the Dutch company SMZ, followed by Sealink British Ferries of the UK in 1990. Stena Line doubles in size as a result.
  
  
• 1993 Stena Line introduces the first small High-Speed ferry on the Irish Sea named Sea Lynx 1.
  
  
• 1996 Stena Rederi develops the Stena High speed Sea Service (HSS) vessels, based on the catamaran concept. Several designs are patented and the World’s Largest Fast Ferry HSS Stena Explorer starts service on the Irish Sea.
  
  
• 2000 Stena Line acquires the Swedish shipping company Scandlines AB, extending its route network and securing its presence in southern Sweden.
  
  
• 2002 Stena Line opens new freight routes between the Hook of Holland and Killingholme and Rotterdam to Harwich and celebrates the company’s 40th anniversary.
  
  
• 2004 Acquisition of the Fleetwood-Larne route on the Irish Sea and three vessels from P&O.
  
  
• 2007 Stena Line withdraws its Stena HSS fastcraft from the Harwich-Hook of Holland route.
  
  
• 2007 Stena Line announces the construction of two new Superferries for its Harwich-Hook of Holland route.
  
  
• 2008 Stena Line opens a new £37m port in the Belfast.
  
  
• 2009 Stena Line adds the Stena Navigator to its Stranraer-Belfast route.
  
  
• 2010 Stena Line commences construction of a £200m Scottish port in Loch Ryan, Dumfries and Galloway.
  
  
• 2010 Stena Line launches two new Superferries on the Harwich – Hook of Holland route.