Martin & C° was founded in 1911 . Nick Martin, a compass adjuster from Sunderland, UK saw new opportunities arising from the increasing expansion in the port of Antwerp and , together with his brother Jack, began importing charts and publications as well as navigation instruments. Apart from interruptions during the two world wars, the company grew from strength to strength. Nick's son Brian took over in 1946 after the death of his father. The post war years saw continued growth and expansion into areas such as the leisure market . In 1985, Martin & C° bought their main competitor in the port of Antwerp, E.Bogerd & C°. Bogerd's had been established shortly after the second world war and also had an Admiralty Chart Agency. In 1988, Brian Martin retired , handing over to his son Michael. In the following years, Martin & C° expanded into foreign markets, establishing a wide customer base that included major shipowners and ship managers. In 1990, they formed a joint venture in Poland called Smart C° and a couple of years later, opened up a representative office in Shanghai. The Polish branch offers a wide range of marine products and is now also an official Admiralty Chart Agent. The Shanghai office deals with all contacts between the head office and Chinese ship owners and shipyards. Apart from the supply of charts and publications, Martin's Shanghai office deals with supplies of safety equipment and other technical equipments for shipyards. In early 2002, Martin & C° and Bogerd NV have merged to form one company ' Bogerd-Martin NV' with a view of combining their activities and know-how in order to offer a seamless service to the marine community.