DFDS Expands Logistics Footprint with Huisman Acquisition

Danish ferry and logistics company DFDS has acquired 100% of the share capital of Dutch logistics company Huisman Group BV.

Closing of the transaction took place on December 9, 2019, and Huisman will be consolidated in the DFDS Group, the ferry operator said.

As explained, Huisman Group expands DFDS’ activities between continental Europe and the UK/ Ireland and adds, in particular, expertise in part-load solutions. This is expected to enable further development of part-load solutions in DFDS’ logistics network as well as access to new customers.

The acquisition, which is in line with one of the company’s four strategic pillars, is thus expected to bring synergies from both business development and operational integration, according to DFDS.

“Huisman Group is an excellent provider of part-load solutions between the Netherlands and the UK that complements our existing strong full-load business in these markets. We can now offer customers an even wider scope of solutions,” Niklas Andersson, Executive Vice President and Head of Logistics Division at DFDS, commented.

Based in Wijchen, Huisman Group provides part-load transport solutions and contract logistics focused on time-critical freight between the UK/Ireland and continental Europe. Operations include warehouses and cross-docking facilities in Wijchen, the Netherlands, and Corby, England, as well as a fleet of around 55 trailers and 50 trucks.

DFDS, headquartered in Copenhagen, provides ferry and transport services in the EU and Turkey. Last year, the company also acquired U.N. Ro-Ro, Turkey’s largest operator of freight routes, to better use opportunities from the fast-growing transport market between Turkey and the EU.