BULCON is the trade name of the container services provided by the Bulgarian state-owned shipping company - Navigation Maritime Bulgare.

The announcement for the first container service of Bulcon was made on 20.05.1983 and the first voyage was perfomed by m/v "Stanko Staikov". She sailed from Varna on 17.06.1983 with rotation: Varna - London - Rotterdam - Varna.

During the years that followed, Bulcon expanded its services and its agency network, covering the major European - Mediterranean trade routes. It was calling ports in the UK, Nortwest Europe, Scandinavia, the West and East Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Bulcon expanded its services up to a point in which it operated 15 container vessels (owned and chartered) having capacity between 200 and 1000 TEU. Those vessels were deployed to serve 6 dedicated container services with weekly departures and short transit times. Bulcon operated a container fleet numbering well above 22,000 TEU (owned and leased).

Over the years, Bulcon had some good co-operation with other container carriers. For example, together with ZIM Israel Navigation Co. Ltd, Bulcon offered a weekly service with two vessels to / from West Mediteranean ports to / from Israel. Initially, each of the companies deployed one vessel and later on, due to the serious increase of the cargo volumes, it was decided to operate two big chartered vessels, at which stage this venture was joined by Messrs Grimaldi Group Co. and Trident Med Lines Ltd.

The development and the growth of the Bulcon container services was possible due to the well developed and professionally performing agency network. Some of the agencies of Bulcon are owned by Navigation Maritime Bulgare and some are independent contractors.

Presently, the container vessels of Navigation Maritime Bulgare are operating in two separate markets - 5 of the vessels are operating on the time-charter market and 7 vessels are operating on the 3 Bulcon services: the Continental Service, The Intramed Service and Balkan Express Service.

Bulcon continues to keep its strategic position in those segments of the market where it has traditionally operated. Bulcon is, for example, currently ranked as the largest container carrier on the Bulgaria - North-West Continent trade. It is a dedicated niche carrier that is maintaining a good quality service and is matching the ever increasing expectations of its clients. Bulcon is confidently looking into the future.