February 2 - Ahlers Belgium has acquired Antwerp Breakbulk Agencies (ABA).

The takeover, which was finalised at the end of 2015, means that ABA's contracts with shipping and chartering lines Onego, Hartel and NEPA have now become fully operational through Ahlers.

In light of the acquisition, Hans van der Woude, former owner of ABA, has joined Ahlers as business development manager.

He commented: "Ahlers is a much bigger enterprise than ABA and I'm excited by the opportunities this offers for former ABA customers. I have found an efficient, dedicated team that shares the values I nurtured at ABA for many years."

Ahlers says that former ABA customers will benefit from the company's experience, expertise and financial strength - all of which allow it to handle large and complex projects.

As well as commercial agency services in many ports, Ahlers also provides transportation to and from ports, local port services, Customs handling, warehousing, and value-added logistics services.

"With the acquisition of ABA we confirm our specific focus towards breakbulk shipping lines and operators," said Roel Vanmaele, managing director, Europe at Ahlers.

www.ahlers.com

Topics