Historic British shipbroker Gibson Shipbrokers had double cause to celebrate in Singapore.

Gibson, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, was a latecomer to the Lion City, only setting up its Gibson Brokers operation in 2008. Even though the subsequent decade has had what were some of the toughest years for shipping, the company nonetheless has grown in Singapore from a handful of brokers to a team now hovering around the 30-strong mark.