Today's trade is global. A company can choose to have its headquarters in one part of the world, its production facilities in another and sell its brands in all markets. Since the first sea-borne container transport took place in 1956, the shipping industry has been one of the main facilitators of the globalisation of trade. This book traces the rise to prominence of Maersk Line - the world's leading container operator - and the internal decision-making processes that lay behind the firm's extraordinary expansion between 1973 and 2013. With unprecedented access to company archives, interviews with current and former employees, and extensive statistical information provided by The Economist Intelligence Unit, Containerisation International and Lloyd's Register, this is a valuable resource for students of logistics, shipping or international business. This first inside account of the challenges of building a global business will also appeal to industry specialists and the general business reader.