A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) has completed its acquisition of Hamburg-based freight forwarding company Senator International.
Under this takeover, Maersk will make use of the firm’s well-developed airfreight network, well-established full container load and less than container load network, and specialised services in packaging, warehousing, and distribution across five continents.
The Danish giant believes this will allow them to offer an even wider range of products and the ability to provide flexible and integrated logistics solutions, allowing customers to speed up or slow down cargo depending on their changing supply chain needs.
“We are delighted to welcome the Senator team to our Maersk family. As a global provider of integrated logistics, we are improving our ability to provide end-to-end solutions to our customers. With Senator on board, we are ramping up our air freight capacity, network, and know-how significantly to cater even better for our customers,” said Vincent Clerc, CEO of Ocean & Logistics at Maersk.
According to Maersk, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread congestion and production issues. As a result, more customers are requesting alternative means of cargo transportation.
With this $644 million transaction, Senator will add their broad industry expertise and product knowledge to Maersk’s existing network – providing customers with increased flexibility and redundancy in their supply chains.
Tim-Oliver Kirschbaum, CEO of Senator International, added: “By joining Maersk, our customers will have access to a broader portfolio of products for their business needs and provide them with a single point of contact. It’s a perfect match, and we are really excited about the next chapter in our united journey.”
In the near future, Maersk aims to have one third of the annual air tonnage carried within its own controlled freight network. It looks to do this through a combination of owned and leased aircraft.
The remaining capacity will be provided by strategic commercial carriers and charter flight operators.
Maersk also recently completed its acquisition of B2C Europe, further enhancing its e-commerce portfolio across Europe.
B2C Europe has been rebranded and will now operate under Maersk’s E-Delivery product.
The takeover was initially announced back in October last year.