Dealing with a crisis
The Roaring Twenties, during which SHV has prospered, come to an end with the Wall Street Crash in 1929. A worldwide economic crisis follows as the global economy shrinks, unemployment constantly rises, and political unrest grows.
These are difficult times for SHV. As the company’s German shareholders attempt to gain a greater level of control, the directors look for ways of retaining their independence.
Across the Atlantic
The years after the First World War have been good to SHV. The company has profited from global economic growth to greatly expand its transhipment and bunkering empire.
Another great success for SHV comes through investment arm Unitas and the founding of the first US branch of ENKA , opening its first plant in 1928. Located near Ashville, North Carolina, American Enka Company creates hundreds of jobs in the region and introduces this new and relatively cheap material to many parts of the continent. Even during the Great Depression of the 1930s, production grows steadily. The company builds ENKA Village to house its workforce, today a site of historical interest.