Profile
Established in Gibraltar as a Port Agency in 1810, MH Bland & Co Ltd has an unrivalled history and tradition in Gibraltar and beyond. In recent years, the company has seen a dynamic expansion of its interests in the marine and tourism sectors.
MH Bland is an engine room of Gibraltar’s continued commercial success and resilience.
MH Bland Marine Division
The Port Agency is strategically located in Gibraltar, Spain, Canary Islands and Morocco to service our clients whenever, wherever and whatever their needs.
MH Bland Marine Services operates in the port of Gibraltar, harnessing a wide range of assets under one control centre to deliver a coordinated and timely service. These assets include;
- a bonded warehouse
- logistics expertise
- a fleet of harbour craft, workboats and lube-oil barges
- a range of cranes and forklifts
MH Bland Tourism Division
Calypso Tours specialises in creating and delivering an imaginative portfolio of tours in Gibraltar, Morocco, Spain, Canary Islands, Malta & Cuba.
The Cable Car, built, owned and operated by MH Bland, is Gibraltar’s unique tourist attraction including the spectacular private function venue, restaurant & bar, the Mons Calpe Suite. The Cable Car climbs 412m to the Top of the Rock in 6 minutes.
MH Bland Travel Services is an IATA bonded travel agency which provides expert service and advice while specialising in business travel and cruise holidays.
History
MH Bland was established in 1810, just a few years after the Battle of Trafalgar, when Marcus Henry Bland from Liverpool saw the effect of the British victory at Trafalgar and what it would mean for the maritime industry of the day. He realised that Gibraltar was the first friendly port leaving the UK and would be a key port at the crossroads between the Mediterranean and Atlantic and between Europe and Africa, so he seized the opportunity and set up a shipping agency on the Rock.
Over the following years there were three generations of Bland, and when John Bland fell ill without any heirs he sold the company to his chief clerk, Joseph Gaggero, Great Grandfather to the current Chairman and Deputy Chairman Johnnie and George Gaggero. He bought MH Bland & Co Ltd from the Bland family, together with his brother developed the company.
The Gaggero family have remained at the helm since 1891, which has grown from its origins as a shipping agency, evolving and expanding into salvage, ship owning, towage, and subsequently into airlines to Tangier and UK, running ferries across the Strait of Gibraltar for many years and building and operating the Cable Car, one of Gibraltar’s leading tourist attractions.
With over 200 years of history, MH Bland’s development has mirrored that of Gibraltar’s: from small shipping agency, it has evolved and grown to become a force to be reckoned with in the maritime and tourism sector.
