PD Ports

PD Ports is a Middlesbrough, UK headquartered port, shipping and logistics company; owner of Teesport, and ports at Hartlepool, Howden and Keadby; with additional operations at the Port of Felixstowe, Port of Immingham, and Port of Hull.

Formerly known as Powell Duffryn, it traces its origins to a coal mining company founded by Thomas Powell in the 19th century in the South Wales coalfield. After Thomas Powell's death in 1863 the company operated as the Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Company having been amalgamated into the business of Sir George Elliot. During the latter part of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the company expanded its mining activities, also acquiring shipping firm Stephenson Clarke in 1928. After number of colliery acquisitions and a merger with the Welsh Associated Collieries in 1935 it became Powell Duffryn Associated Collieries In 1947 the main coal mining division of the business was nationalised into the National Coal Board. The remainder of the company diversified, mainly into shipping and engineering, and acquired the ports of Tees and Hartlepool in the 1990s. Restructuring in the late 1990s/early 2000s resulted in the sale of engineering businesses and a focus on port operations.

The company was acquired in 2000 by Nikko Principal Investments Japan Ltd., a unit of Nikko Cordial Corp. of Japan. In 2003 the company re-branded as PD Ports. In 2005 the company was acquired by infrastructure division of Babcock & Brown, and then sold Brookfield Asset Management in 2009.

The business started in Newport, Wales in the late 18th century as by Thomas Powell who had inherited the family business at the age of 14 on his father's death – in 1810 Powell acquired land in Llanhilleth and began coal mining.