Leading short-sea carrier Containerships has acquired 100% of the shares of Contaz Maritime Transport & Trade S.A. of Turkey (CMTT). The transaction was fully financed by Containerships equity; further details will not be disclosed. Announcing the news, Mr. Sigurjón Markusson, CEO of Containerships explains the background of this take-over:
“Containerships have long considered expansion of its operating territory into the Mediterranean. The Contaz operations in the Mediterranean are not only profitable but in fact a mirror image of the services Containerships operate in the Baltic and North Sea. The new company can now offer unique door to door services between the Baltic, North and Mediterranean Seas. This is a trading area of 500 million people, with growing economies and many opportunities.”
Mr. Sadi Pencap, Chairman of the Board of Contaz adds:
“The management is pleased to join the Containerships Group as it will strengthen the operations of Contaz. We have now been given the critical size we were missing. Both the Containerships and Contaz names are well respected on the market and our approaches to business complement each other admirably.”
“The fact that the take-over does not involve any overlap means that the knowledge and expertise available in the group will remain. The staff and management of Contaz will remain in situ as will the identity of Contaz ”
Mr. Markusson continues:
“We will offer unique shortsea door to door connections between Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Libya and Tunisia in the South with the UK, Scandinavia, Finland, Russia, the Baltic States, Poland in the North. The two services also have possibilities for transport to and from Ukraine, Belarus and Central Asia.”
“We now have 450 staff in 15 offices and 15 vessels that will allow us to offer fast and frequent onward connections with transit times from 12 up to 21 days depending on ports of origin and destination using our fleet of 40’ and 45’ pallet-wide containers. Having our own offices will ensure full control of the transportation chain.”
“Containerships have long considered expansion of its operating territory into the Mediterranean. The Contaz operations in the Mediterranean are not only profitable but in fact a mirror image of the services Containerships operate in the Baltic and North Sea. The new company can now offer unique door to door services between the Baltic, North and Mediterranean Seas. This is a trading area of 500 million people, with growing economies and many opportunities.”
Mr. Sadi Pencap, Chairman of the Board of Contaz adds:
“The management is pleased to join the Containerships Group as it will strengthen the operations of Contaz. We have now been given the critical size we were missing. Both the Containerships and Contaz names are well respected on the market and our approaches to business complement each other admirably.”
“The fact that the take-over does not involve any overlap means that the knowledge and expertise available in the group will remain. The staff and management of Contaz will remain in situ as will the identity of Contaz ”
Mr. Markusson continues:
“We will offer unique shortsea door to door connections between Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Libya and Tunisia in the South with the UK, Scandinavia, Finland, Russia, the Baltic States, Poland in the North. The two services also have possibilities for transport to and from Ukraine, Belarus and Central Asia.”
“We now have 450 staff in 15 offices and 15 vessels that will allow us to offer fast and frequent onward connections with transit times from 12 up to 21 days depending on ports of origin and destination using our fleet of 40’ and 45’ pallet-wide containers. Having our own offices will ensure full control of the transportation chain.”