Matson Lines

Matson, Inc. is an American shipping and navigation services company headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii. Founded in 1882, Matson, Inc.'s subsidiary Matson Navigation Company provides ocean shipping services across the Pacific to Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Micronesia, the South Pacific, China, and Japan.

History

William Matson (1849–1917) founded Matson Navigation Company. He was born in Lysekil in Västra Götaland County, Sweden, and orphaned during childhood. He arrived in San Francisco after a trip around Cape Horn in 1867. Working aboard the Dickel family yacht, he struck up a friendship with tycoon Claus Spreckels, who financed many of Matson's new ships. In 1882, the three-masted schooner ''Emma Claudina'' ran to the Hawaiian Islands.

The enterprise began in the carrying of merchandise, especially of plantation stores, to the islands and returning with cargoes of sugar. This led to gradually expanding interests at both ends of the line.

In 1924, Matson completed the Matson Building at 215 Market Street in San Francisco. It featured an observation tower and cupola at the northern corner of the building that enabled company executives to see its ships coming through the Golden Gate. The company later sold the building to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, whose general office was next door at 245 Market. PG&E has incorporated the former Matson building into its general office complex, keeping Matson-specific details such as elevator doors with detailed maps of Hawaii on them.

For a brief period after World War II, Matson operated an airline using Douglas DC-4 aircraft between the Pacific Coast and Hawaii. The airline ultimately ceased operations because of political pressure from Pan American World Airways, which resulted in inability to obtain federal government scheduled operating authority.

On December 1, 2011, Matson's then-parent company Alexander & Baldwin announced that its board of directors approved a plan to split A&B and Matson into two separate companies. As part of the plan, Matson would leave Oakland, California, to become a Honolulu-based company. The two companies are now traded separately.

In 2015, Matson, Inc. acquired Horizon Lines, formerly its main competitor in the United States domestic market, for $469 million.

Passenger ships

Primarily a conveyor of freight, Matson also introduced into service a number of passenger liners to capitalize on the burgeoning tourist trade. In 1926, Matson took over the Oceanic Steamship Company, operating three trans-Pacific liners, including the ''SS Sonoma''.

From the early 20th century through the 1970s, Matson liners sailed from the west coast ports of San Francisco and Los Angeles to Honolulu and points beyond, including a handful of South Pacific ports of call as well as Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand. Two of their earlier cargo liners, and , were the first passenger ships to place their engines aft.

Among the "white ships of Matson" were ''SS Malolo, Malolo'' (rechristened ''Matsonia''), ''SS Lurline (1932), Lurline'', ''SS Mariposa (1931), Mariposa'', and ''SS Monterey, Monterey''. With the advent and expansion of routine air travel between the mainland and the islands, Matson's passenger service was greatly diminished, and the liners were eventually retired from trans-Pacific service and virtually gone by the end of the 1970s.

Hotels

In 1925, Matson acquired a controlling interest in the historic Moana Hotel on Waikiki on the island of Oahu. They constructed the nearby Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1927. In 1952, they built the SurfRider Hotel (today a wing of the Moana), followed by the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel, Princess Kaiulani Hotel in 1953. They sold the four properties to Sheraton Hotels in 1959.

Current fleet

Matson's current cargo fleet of U.S.-flagged vessels include:

* ''Anchorage / Kodiak / Tacoma'' (sister ships)
* ''Daniel K. Inouye''
* ''Imua II / Liloa II'' (sister ships)
* ''Kaimana Hila''
* ''Kamokuiki''
* ''Lihue''
* ''Lurline''
* ''Manoa / Mahimahi''
* ''Manulani / Maunawili / Manukai'' (sister ships)
* ''Maunalei''
* ''Matsonia''
* ''Mokihana''
* ''Papa Mau''
* ''R.J. Pfeiffer''
* ''Haleakala''
* ''Mauna Loa''
* ''Waialeale''

Gallery

File:Matson-Horizon containers 1 in Hawaii.jpg, The Matson containers are everywhere in Hawaii, including ...
File:Matson-Horizon containers 2 in Hawaii.jpg, ... this pair of Matson-Horizon containers, left long time in the Walmart plaza
File:2018-09-05 MATSON TACOMA - IMO 8419154.jpg, Matson container ship, ''Tacoma'', heading into Kodiak, Alaska
File:House flag of Matson, Inc.svg, Maritime flag, House flag of Matson, Inc.

See also

*Young Brothers Hawaii
*Pasha Hawaii
*List of largest container shipping companies

References

Further reading

*
*

External links

*

The last ocean liners of Matson lines

{{Authority control

Shipping companies of the United States
Ferry companies of Hawaii
Transportation companies based in California
Water transportation in Hawaii
Companies based in Honolulu
Companies based in Oakland, California
Transport companies established in 1882
1882 establishments in California
Corporate spin-offs
2012 establishments in Hawaii
Dole plc
Companies in the Dow Jones Transportation Average
Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
Container shipping companies of the United States
Container shipping companies