Unifeeder acquires United Feeder Services
The Unifeeder Group has reached an agreement to acquire United Feeder Services Ltd (UFS), the Company said in a press release. The two companies will, in combination, offer the most comprehensive feeder network in Europe with an unparalleled coverage of ports in both Northern Europe and in the Mediterranean. Unifeeder and UFS will continue to trade as separate companies and with separate organisations but will focus on combining its capabilities to improve services and operations to match the increasing requirements of clients.
The merger of the companies will benefit all stakeholders, from customers to employees, suppliers and the environment through superior port coverage, optimized operations and further strengthening of the well-known service levels of the two companies.
Mr. Jesper Kristensen, CEO of Unifeeder A/S, stated that “Both of our companies have a strong history of providing our customers with attractive transportation solutions. Together, we will be able to further improve our services in an environment of increasing demands from our clients. We will also continue to build economies of scale in our operations, which is the key to our long term competitiveness.” He elaborated that “The transaction fits very well with Unifeeder’s strategic ambition to deliver the best feeder and shortsea product on the market. Combining our efforts enables us to strengthen our companies in Northern Europe as well as in the Mediterranean.”
Mrs. Cecilia Batistello-Eckelmann, Chairman of UFS, commented: “UFS has developed a large presence in the Mediterranean feeder market. Building a comprehensive network of services from Iberia to the Black Sea, we have served clients with many different requirements and built a reputation as a reliable feeder operator. UFS brings significant experience and knowledge into the future relationship with Unifeeder that will benefit both companies. Together we will improve our ability to meet the needs of our clients.”
The transaction is expected to close at the end of October, subject to approval by the relevant authorities.
Unifeeder is one of Northern Europe’s leading feeder operators transporting containers from the large European container hubs in Belgium, England, Germany and the Netherlands to more than 35 regional ports across the UK, the Nordic Region and the Baltic Sea. Unifeeder’s feeder operations are complemented by its fast growing door-to-door multimodal container transport business. Since 2012, Unifeeder has also provided its feeder and shortsea services to clients in the Western Mediterranean.