Montagu Private Equity to acquire Unifeeder
Montagu, a leading European mid-market private equity investor, and the founders of Unifeeder are pleased to announce Montagu’s acquisition of Northern Europe’s leading feeder operator for container transportation.
Unifeeder operates the largest feeder network for container transportation in Northern Europe. The Company transports containers from the large container hubs at Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Rotterdam to over 20 ports across the Nordic Region, the Baltic States and Russia. As an independent feeder operator, Unifeeder collects and transports containers for many deep sea container lines, offering a frequent and reliable service with over 7,500 calls per year. The Company’s feeder operations are complemented by its door-to-door container transport and freight forwarding businesses.
Unifeeder was established by Peter Bohnsen and Tonny D. Paulsen in 1977. Today, the Company has sales of more than €380m and is headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark. It has 200 employees and subsidiaries in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands. In addition, the Company has a presence through agents in Belgium, England, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia.
Jesper Kristensen, currently responsible for the German, Baltic and Russian operations, will become Chief Executive of Unifeeder.
“Unifeeder is an integral part of the transportation chain and enjoys an excellent record of volume and revenue growth. The Company fits perfectly into Montagu’s strategy of investing in partnership with outstanding management teams in businesses with positive momentum and substantial growth and development potential” said Peter Dahlberg, Investment Director at Montagu.
Jesper Kristensen, CEO of Unifeeder commented “The management team has worked hard under the guidance of the founders and we are proud of the achievements made to date. However, we are pleased that the deal with Montagu is now concluded. We are convinced that Montagu’s financial resources, knowledge and expertise will help us take the Company to the next stage of its development whilst maintaining the existing heart and soul of Unifeeder. We are truly delighted to have their support.”
In a joint statement Peter Bohnsen and Tonny D. Paulsen said “This has not been an easy decision for us. Over the past 30 years, Unifeeder has developed into a key player in the container transportation market with a presence in 12 countries. However, it is now time for us to hand over the responsibility and we are very pleased to have found Montagu, who we believe has the right attitude and approach to work together with our excellent management team and employees to continue the positive development of the Company. It has been our highest priority to find an owner that will uphold Unifeeder’s independent position in the feeder market.”
The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals.
PwC Corporate Finance acted as financial advisor and Bech-Bruun as legal advisor to the founders. Montagu was advised by Société Générale and Plesner Svane Grønborg.
Contacts
Peter Bohnsen, Founder, Unifeeder, peb@unifeeder.com, +45 88830022
Tonny D. Paulsen, Founder, Unifeeder, tdp@unifeeder.com, +45 88380322
Jesper Kristensen, Chief Executive, Unifeeder, jek@unifeeder.com, +49 408080 31620
Peter Dahlberg, Investment Director, Montagu Private Equity, +44 20 7336 9955
Unifeeder A/S
Unifeeder operates Northern Europe’s largest feeder network for container transportation. Established in 1977, the Company transports over 1.5m TEU annually with its fleet of 42 vessels, and calls at 25 ports across the Nordic Region, the Baltic States and Russia. Unifeeder has a strong commitment to understanding its customers' needs and is continuously improving its transport services to create value for customers. In addition to its feeder operations, Unifeeder also provides door-to-door container transportation and freight forwarding services.
The Company has 200 employees, is headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark and has local offices in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands. In addition, the company has a presence through agents in Belgium, England, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia.
Unifeeder has been fully owned by its founders and their respective families since its inception in 1977.
Visit www.unifeeder.com for more information.