Another Freight Forwarding and Logistics Tie Up as Gefco Buys IJS

FRANCE – NETHERLANDS – WORLDWIDE – Following its policy of expansion established over the past few years with growth in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, French based Gefco, the freight forwarding outfit which holds the title as European leader in automotive logistics, has signed an agreement with the private equity fund Nimbus to acquire the Dutch company IJS Global, specialised in air and sea cargo operations.

Both companies assert that the broad match of expertise, geographic networks and customer portfolios will create value for all of the stakeholders including customers, partners, suppliers and employees and conforming to both companies search for growth and competitiveness. They state that this collaboration will result in a 'broader range of global logistics services, dedicated to the optimisation of complex supply chains'.

Founded in 2004, IJS Global is a freight forwarding company specialised in the fields of air and sea cargoes. Its head office is located in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. The company currently has around 500 employees and generated turnover of €160 million in 2014. It offers its customers a worldwide coverage thanks to its operational footprint in 16 countries, with expertise centres in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, China and South-East Asia, as well as in the USA.

The two say that IJS Global’s network complements that of the Gefco Group’s own which includes forty countries. This acquisition will notably allow Gefco to develop its presence in the world’s two primary freight forwarding areas: China and South-East Asia on the one hand, and the USA on the other. It will also enable Gefco to extend its European network through greater presence in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany, while also obtaining a foothold in the Australian market. According to Luc Nadal, Chairman of the Gefco Management Board:

“The acquisition of IJS Global is fully in line with our development strategy. This operation will allow Gefco to enhance its position as the preferred partner of international industrial companies. Our mission is to bring value to our customers’ supply chains while enabling them to achieve greater growth and competitiveness.

“We have all the assets to become a major overseas player for all of our international industrial customers. I am confident that our teams, both IJS Global and Gefco, will demonstrate how skilled and professional they are in listening to the needs of our customers and meeting their needs.”

Once the acquisition of IJS Global is completed, all of Gefco’s freight forwarding (Overseas) activities will be managed by Sjoerd Van Loon, the current CEO of IJS Global who commented:

“We are delighted to join the Gefco Group, a global leader in high value-added logistics. The networks of both companies are complementary and will significantly contribute to our service offer in all of the world’s key markets. We are looking forward to combining the knowledge and experience of our teams to help us grow.”

Photo: L to R Sjoerd Van Loon, CEO, IJS Global - Luc Nadal, Chairman Gefco