North Star Port

"Keep 'er mid channel." That guiding princi- ple was one Sven Hubner lived by and tried to instill in others. The maritime phrase means to stay centered, keep moving, and be in a place where you won't run aground. It served him well as a prominent vessel agent in the Port of Duluth-Superior from 1963 to 1991, navigating exciting and challenging times for Great Lakes shipping. Sven Hubner died Jan. 23, 2023, at the age of 90, in Greensboro, North Carolina. While he was far from the Twin Ports and decades removed from his career on the Duluth waterfront, friends and colleagues were eager to honor his legacy. Amiable but tough when needed, Hubner is perhaps best known on the Great Lakes as former owner and president of Guthrie-Hubner, Inc., the oldest shipping agency in Duluth. His business savvy and way with people helped put the Twin Ports on the map for oceangoing vessels after the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Seaway System opened in 1959. It seems fitting his story begins across the Atlantic Ocean. Hubner was born March 26, 1932, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Shortly after graduating from a boys' school, he set his sights on a maritime career. "Sven had an uncle who was a captain on the Maersk Line, and he wanted to go to sea—his mother was not happy," said Kirsten "Kitte" Hubner, a childhood friend before the two fell in love in their 20s and married. "He had to go to Danish navi- gation school to get his Mate and Master's (license). During his early career, he trained on the Danish tall ship Danmark and sailed on several small freighters." Hubner received his Mate and Master's ticket in 1956. Two years later, he and Kitte immigrated to the United States. They landed in New York, where Sven sailed up and down the East Coast for Skaarup Shipping Corporation while Kitte worked for the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the United Nations. The Seaway opening in 1959 launched a new era for water- borne commerce on the Great Lakes. It also expanded oppor- tunities for the Hubners. "Soon after the Seaway opened, Sven sailed to Duluth and worked there for a season loading ships," said Kitte, noting that he met Alastair Guthrie on that trip. "They became friends, and Mr. Guthrie asked Sven to come and work for him (at vessel agency Alastair Guthrie, Inc.). We were not quite ready, but, in 1963, we moved to Duluth." Guthrie knew Sven's connections, experience as a shipmaster and strong communication skills made him a good fit to court European customers. Sven spent the next several years traveling to Europe, building relationships and persuading foreign shipping firms to load U.S. grain and other com- modities in Duluth for transport around the world. "One of the biggest impacts my dad had on the Port of Duluth-Su- perior—60 years ago now—was that he really promoted it throughout Europe," said daughter Karen How- land. "His outreach to European shippers made a big difference in get- ting salties to visit the Twin Ports." Hubner's role in the company grew. In 1971, the vessel agency's name became Guthrie-Hubner, Inc. Hubner purchased the business from his mentor, Guthrie. Soon Kitte joined the business, writing letters, filing documents and providing other secretarial services. "My sister (Annelise Harrison) and I grew up watching our parents work side-by-side," Howland said. "It instilled import- ant values in us. My dad always made sure those he worked with and those that worked for him were taken care of and respected." Chuck Hilleren, current owner and president of Guthrie-Hub- ner, joined the company in the early 1970s after a chance meet- ing with Hubner in a Duluth restaurant. Hilleren was nearing the end of service with the U.S. Air Force and entered the estab- lishment wearing his uniform. Hubner and some compatriots bought him a beer and struck up a conversation. "Sven was a very patriotic person," Hilleren recalled. "He had left Denmark and thought the United States was God's gift—a place where people who worked hard could have a very good life. He loved America." Hubner encouraged Hilleren to apply for a job, which he did the very next day. It was a busy time to come aboard. The U.S. and Russia had just signed a grain pact, and grain shipments through the Port of Duluth-Superior were about to skyrocket. Sven at Guthrie-Hubner. PORT PASSINGS Sven Hubner helped establish Duluth as a world port | By Julie Zenner 10 | NORTH STAR PORT | SUMMER 2023

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