A.P. Moller – Maersk late last week also announced the acquisition of two logistics companies for a combined total of nearly US$1 billion.
The first company, Visible Supply Chain Management, is a business-to-consumer logistics company with a focus on parcel delivery and fulfilment services. Its headquarters is in Salt Lake City, US. The company reported the value of the Visible SCM transaction was US$838 million.
Additionally Maersk announced the intention to acquire B2C Europe, which is another business-to-consumer logistics company specialising in parcels. However, as the name suggests, B2C Europe is a Europe-based company, with headquarters in the Netherlands. Maersk said the transaction for B2C Europe would come to US$86 million.
Maersk Ocean and Logistics CEO Vincent Clerc said his company had set out to build strong e-commerce logistics capabilities that will extend and reinforce its existing supply chain and create growth opportunities.
“Today, customers rely on the integrated logistics approach and services which Maersk offers. By combining that with the operating models and value proposition of Visible SCM and B2C Europe, we will enable our customers to continue to develop their e-commerce offering, thus extending the scope and potential of our strategic partnerships,” Mr Clerc said.
“The acquisitions will provide Maersk with a strong growth platform in the rapidly evolving field of e-commerce, where our investments in digitalisation and integration will create significant synergies and make a big difference for customers’ ability to sell across multiple channels effectively. Furthermore, they will allow us to have a more comprehensive offering towards small and medium sized customers.”
