Two younger members of Greece’s Martinos family have established their own shipmanagement company, setting out on an autonomous course while maintaining close links with their famous shipowning uncles.

Brothers Stefanos and Aris Koropoulis are behind Astra Shipmanagement Inc, which is taking over four vessels from Thenamaris.

Astra — a Marshall-Islands incorporated company that registered an office in the Athens suburb of Glyfada with Greek authorities this summer — came to the industry attention in the past week when brokers reported it had purchased three Thenamaris bulkers and a containership.

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