The Color Line organisation

Color Line is Norway’s largest shipping company in international passenger and cargo transport to and from Norway, and among Europe’s leading operators in short-sea shipping. Today, Color Line is the only shipping company in international passenger and cargo transport between Norway and other countries with all vessels registered in the Norwegian Ship Register and with its head office in Norway.

Business model

Color Line operates a fleet of five purpose-built RoPax vessels transporting passengers and cargo on four international routes between seven ports in Norway, Denmark, Germany, and Sweden. The company offers daily, year-round services between the Norwegian ports of Oslo, Sandefjord, Larvik, and Kristiansand, and one port in each destination country – Hirtshals in Denmark, Strömstad in Sweden, and Kiel in Germany. In addition, Color Line owns and operates the four-star Color Hotel Skagen in Denmark. In 2024, the company transported approximately 3.7 million passengers and 160,000 cargo units (12-metre equivalents). The company has around 3,000 employees (2,191 full-time equivalents) across four countries.

Based on tailored, high-quality services for both passengers and cargo, we continuously develop and renew our product offering to ensure efficient, reliable, safe, modern, and comfortable operations across customer segments on all routes. Ensuring that guests enjoy a positive customer experience is central to our business model and is embedded in our values and culture.

Ownership and organisational structure

Color Group AS is the parent company of Color Line AS and is wholly owned by O.N. Sunde AS, which in turn is wholly owned by Olav Nils Sunde and his family. Color Group’s main activities include ownership management and central financial functions for the group.

Color Line is organised into four business areas and six staff and support functions. Each area is represented by an Executive Vice President in the Group Executive Management, which is led by Color Line’s President and CEO. While the Executive Vice Presidents have overall responsibility for the four business areas, the individual staff and support functions are responsible for managing and overseeing their respective areas of responsibility, as well as supporting the business areas, the President and CEO, and the Board of Directors.

Commercial onboard operations
Responsible for creating a unified, attractive, and service-oriented travel, hotel, and retail experience on board the vessels.

Commercial shore-based operations
Responsible for sales and marketing, concept development, and making the company’s capacity available to the market.

Cargo
Responsible for sales, handling, and follow-up of freight and customs clearance–related products.

Color Line Marine
Responsible for the operation and maintenance of the company’s five vessels, port and tonnage development, and process ownership when contracting new vessels.

Staff and support functions
Comprise dedicated departments within finance, IS/IT, HR, sustainability and compliance, communication and public affairs, as well as strategy and business development.