Panalpina continues acquisitions spree in Belgian perishables sector

Focusing again on its stated goal of becoming the “world leader” in the perishables market by 2020, Swiss forwarder Panalpina has continued its recent string of acquisitions in the sector, announcing its intent to purchase Belgium-based Adelantex and AD Handling. Financial terms of the agreement were not released by any of the companies.

The two logistics companies specialize in the handling of fresh produce imports in Brussels, Liège and Ostend, and will be added to the growing Panalpina Perishables Network in Europe. Both companies reached their agreements with Panalpina on Monday.

Adelantex handles roughly 75,000 tonnes of airfreight imports per year in Brussels and Liège, and manages ground-handling services at Brussels Airport (BRU), as well as customs clearance and distribution across Europe. With a staff of 46 people, Adelantex serves about 200 customers across Europe that import fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish and plants, and operates a 1,600-square-meter cool-chain storage facility at BRU.

Stefan Karlen, CEO of Panalpina, said the Adelantex purchase represents “another example of how we are building our end-to-end capabilities on the destination side in Europe,” and “will serve as a blueprint for similar operations in other countries.”

The announcement follows similar Panalpina acquisitions in Kenya, Germany and the Netherlands earlier this year.