The realignment of the third party logistics market seems to be picking up speed again. When we conducted our survey last year there appeared to be a lull in merger and takeover activity as companies focused on digesting their trophies from the previous frantic round.
But it was only ever going to be a pause – the pressure to consolidate is too great. Since then there has been a significant level of activity – notably as the majors buy to fill in gaps in their portfolios. DSV’s purchase of Roadferry is a prime example.
However, the past year has also seen Christian Salvesen absorbed by Norbert Dentressangle, while TDG is now in play and, by the time you read this, might well be part of Wincanton. The disappearance of TDG would leave Wincanton as the only major logistics player on the London Stock Exchange.
Last year, we noted that as the big get bigger, they create opportunities for their smaller rivals because certain types of business either no longer fit their portfolios or simply do not give the return on capital that outside investors are looking for. The growth of some of the smaller players in our survey this year tends to support this.
Logistics Manager’s survey of Top Logistics Service Providers is designed to provide the fundamental information needed in looking for a logistics partner – size, geographical coverage, market specialisation and so on. In addition, we aim to provide a round-up of what the company has been doing over the past year – any takeovers or mergers that it has been involved in, contracts won or lost, and major personnel changes.
To compile the survey we asked the companies to supply us with information, and, while we make every effort to be as comprehensive and accurate as possible, one or two companies have been omitted because we could not get the information necessary. If you think your company should be included in the survey please contact the editor, Malory Davies, email: malory.davies@centaur.co.uk
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