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 William Matson (born Wilhelm Mattson) (October 18, 1849 in Lysekil – October 11, 1917) was a Swedish-born American shipping executive. He was the founder of Matson Navigation Company. Early life Wilhelm Matson said he was born on October 18, 1 ...

(1849–1917) founded Matson Navigation Company. He was born in

Lysekil Lysekil () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Lysekil Municipality in Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had about 7,600 inhabitants in 2018. Situated on the south tip of Stångenäs peninsula at the mouth of Gullmarn fjord, it ...

in Västra Götaland County,

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, 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 Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...

. 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 The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is an American investor-owned utility (IOU). The company is headquartered in the Pacific Gas & Electric Building, in San Francisco, California. PG&E provides natural gas and electricity to 5.2 milli ...

, 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. Hawaii State Archives image from Matson Lines 1900s

Hawaii State Archives image from Matson Lines 1900s

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 Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and Auckland, New Zealand. Two of their earlier

cargo liner A cargo liner, also known as a passenger-cargo ship or passenger-cargoman, is a type of merchant ship which carries general cargo and often passengers. They became common just after the middle of the 19th century, and eventually gave way to conta ...

s, and , were the first passenger ships to place their engines aft. Among the "white ships of Matson" were '' Malolo'' (rechristened ''Matsonia''), '' Lurline'', '' Mariposa'', and '' 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 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'' Dockhawaii

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, House flag of Matson, Inc.

References

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