The tie-up between Unifeeder A/S and Feederlink Shipping & Trading bv (Feederlink), currently part of Irish Continental Group plc (ICG), will create “the most attractive feeder and shortsea operator in Northern Europe,” said a Unifeeder statement. 

“The combined entity will be able to provide very attractive feeder and shortsea networks between the major ports in Northern Europe through efficient operations, high frequency, competitive rates and a further strengthening of the well known service levels of the two companies. The joint network will improve the value proposition for inter-European cargo and thereby support initiatives to move cargo from road to sea.”

Unifeeder is one of Northern Europe’s leading feeder operators transporting containers between main North Sea hubs and more than 35 regional ports across the UK, the Nordic Region, the Baltic States and Russia. Its feeder operations are complemented by its fast-growing door-to-door multimodal container transport business. In 2011, Unifeeder had sales of about €430M. Feederlink, based in Rotterdam, operates between the hubs of Felixstowe and Rotterdam and the UK ports of Grangemouth, South Shields, Teesport and Immingham, and had sales of around €22M in 2011.

The CEO of Unifeeder, Jesper Kristensen, commented: “This acquistion shows our commitment to improve continuously our Northern European network and provide customers with attractive transportation options throughout the region…customers will experience an improved Northern European feeder and shortsea network with better transit times, frequency and port coverage. Ensuring long term competitiveness through economies of scale is of great importance to both Unifeeder and our clients, especially in times like these.”

Rob Mulder, CEO of Feederlink, said: “Feederlink and Unifeeder share a strong dedication to provide high quality services to our customers, and the combination of our companies will contribute positively to the further development of container transportation in Northern Europe.

Eamonn Rothwell, CEO of ICG, commented: “The Irish Continental Group has always managed Feederlink with a strong focus on very high customer service standards, and I believe that Unifeeder with its similar approach to quality and service is well suited to continue this tradition for the benefit of our customers.”

The transaction is expected to complete by mid-Autumn 2012 and is subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory approval.