TOLL Shipping has announced it will become an independent shipping company in Tasmania under a new name announced on Friday: Strait Link.

Toll Shipping is currently part of the Toll Global Express group, which connected the island state with the mainland through its Tasmania Shipping service.

In September last year, private equity company Allegro Funds acquired Toll Global Express from Japan Post, the parent company of Toll Group.

Earlier this week, Toll Global Express announced it would change its name and brand identity to Team Global Express, officially dropping the Toll branding.

The new branding will be rolled out across the group’s digital assets, uniforms and fleet from September this year.

The change was followed closely by Friday’s announcement confirming Toll Shipping would operate independently from the Team Global Express group and change its name to Strait Link.

Though Strait Link will be an independent company, it will still operate within the Allegro portfolio of businesses.

The renaming comes with a new brand identity inspired by the company’s connection to the Bass Strait and Tasmania.

“Allegro sees huge potential for the shipping business and becoming an independent company with strong leadership will empower the business to focus on what it does best in adding value for our customers,” Toll Global Express chair Adrian Loader said.

Christine Holgate, group CEO of Toll Global Express, said the most recent announcement marks “an exciting new chapter” for Global Express and Strait Link.

“We are so proud to return these businesses to Australian ownership,” Ms Holgate said.

“Almost a year ago, we embarked on a journey to reimagine our business, and our future, and part of this is our new brand for our shipping business – Strait Link.

“The shipping and logistics businesses will continue to work in partnership, as we always have, to deliver the best and most reliable supply chain solutions for our customers.” 

Strait Link CEO Gary Allen said the company would continue to support local Australian businesses by building strong partnerships and maintaining established services.

“We are dedicated to supporting Tasmania [to] achieve its ambitious export growth targets and [make] a positive contribution to the Australian economy,” Mr Allen said.

He said the newly appointed leadership team would build on the strong foundations already in place.

“We have a proud history spanning over 40 years, with a dedicated workforce who are highly skilled and passionate.

“Our terminal and vessels have had recent upgrades, with sustainability being a future strategic priority.”

Strait Link provides daily sea freight services between Port Burnie and Port of Melbourne and employs more than 500 people across the two port sites.

The company intends to continue its partnership with the Toll Global Express group as an independent company to ensure continuity of its services.