September 1 - Bolloré Logistics has acquired Someport-Walon, an international freight forwarding company which specialises in the movement of industrial projects.
All commitments of Someport-Walon will be transferred to Bolloré, and merged with the industrial project division of Bolloré Logistics France.
According to Bolloré, the aim of the acquisition is to increase synergies and pool expertise "in the management of turnkey projects, chartering, engineering, transport of exceptional packages and other associated services."
Based in Puteaux, France, Someport-Walon is a non-asset based company which employs a team of 15 professionals. The acquisition will be finalised as of September 1, 2017.
In a separate development, earlier this week Bolloré Transport & Logistics announced the partial acquisition of some of the business activities and assets in France and Africa of the Necotrans Group, which was placed under judicial receivership earlier this summer.
Bolloré announced that the takeover plan had been approved by the commercial court of Paris earlier this week, leading to the acquisition of assets and activities in France, Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin and Congo.
"This takeover plan will enable Bolloré Transport & Logistics to strengthen and develop its transport and logistics positions in France and Africa, and also to develop private-public port operation partnerships," the company said in a statement.
"All the acquired activities correspond to two high-priority objectives: facilitate access to the African continent for all Bolloré Transport & Logistics customers in France and worldwide, and consolidate and diversify the company's port operation activities on Africa's Atlantic coast."
The partial takeover of its French rival is part of a larger joint offer that aims to secure a large part of Necotrans Group's business and assets, in a consortium with three international groups.
While Bolloré is yet to name its consortium partners, the naval shipbuilding group Privinvest has announced that the commercial court of Paris has approved its offer to acquire the Swiss based holding of Necotrans, AMT.
In addition to Privinvest, which has facilities and shipyards in France, Germany and the Middle East, media reports suggest African Ports & Corridors (APCH) and Groupe Premium are the other members of the international consortium.
Necotrans, which was placed under judicial protection by the commercial court in Paris earlier this year, previously stated that the aim of the proceedings in the French courts is to preserve the company's activity and employment in Africa, from where the group obtains almost 100 percent of its revenues, as HLPFI reported here.
