NYK Reefers and LauritzenCool have received clearance from the European Commission to merge reefer activities.
The move creates one of the world’s largest reefer-shipping companies with more than 70 specialised vessels covering all major reefer trades. The new company will be jointly owned by NYK Reefers and J Lauritzen.
Negotiations to create the business have been going on since the beginning of the year when the two companies agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding with the aim to merge their reefer activities, following a strategic co-operation and vessel sharing agreement launched in January 2004.
The merger is a perfect match, said Torben Janholt, ceo of J Lauritzen: “If you draw our respective trades and lines on a map, you’ll find that together they cover all major growing and consuming areas and match perfectly."
Both companies emphasized that the creation of the new company is based on the mutually shared ambition to increase and improve customer services and to meet the challenges of the future reefer market.
The business will be based in Stockholm, occupying the former LauritzenCool AB head office, while NYK Reefers office in London will become a branch office.
Mats Jansson, ceo of the new operation said customers would be unaffected by the move and would over time see an improvement in services.
He said it is the new company’s intention to actively seek innovative solutions to problems, both old and new, and to develop new logistics and transport concepts.
“There is a fresh climate of optimism and belief in the future of this business. Everyone is aware of the fact that contemporary ideas are needed, but they can only be realized by reefer companies with financial and organisational strength such as NYK LauritzenCool,” he added.
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