Wallenius Wilhelmsen strengthens its asset-light services in EMEA: Wallenius Wilhelmsen acquires ALS

“This decision is well founded. We have been in a partnership with ALS for ten years already,” says Michael Hynekamp, COO Logistics at Wallenius Wilhelmsen. Wallenius Wilhelmsen acquired 60 per cent of ALS back in 2012.

“During the past decade, we have seen firsthand how ALS delivers premium services to customers. We have a good understanding of how we can operate together “as one” and realize synergies. We see great benefits not only for our customers, but also for employees and both our businesses,” says Hynekamp who underlines that this acquisition is an important step in the Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s long-term strategy of becoming a true global end-to-end logistics service provider.

ALS continues to operate under separate brand under the Wallenius Wilhelmsen group umbrella. ALS will be responsible for delivering asset-light services for the Wallenius Wilhelmsen customers in the EMEA region. In addition, ALS will continue to serve and expand its current customer base with asset-light only services. The acquisition does not have an impact on ALS’s current customers and suppliers, but down the road the goal is to offer customers new opportunities through a closer partnership with Wallenius Wilhelmsen.

“We will continue to focus on a combination of contracted business and spot requests in terms of our sales approach,” says Rene Van De Vin, the managing director at ALS. Van De Vin will continue to run the ALS operations as managing director.

“By joining forces, we will capitalize both on the decades of experience with specialized abnormal cargo logistics and the global reach and network of Wallenius Wilhelmsen. The key is to optimize the customers’ experience across breakbulk, high and heavy and the auto cargo segments and enhance joint product delivery across the supply chain.”

- Wallenius Wilhelmsen is a global leader in vehicle transportation and logistics with a 20 per cent market share. We serve customers, from A-Z, through our end-to-end supply chain, operating in three segments: Shipping, logistics and government.

- The company has more than 130 vessels operating 15 trade routes across six continents. We carry multiplex cargo because our fleet is characterized by a higher average number of hoistable decks and stronger ramp capacity.

- We work with major manufacturers of cars, trucks, heavy equipment and machinery such as BMW, Caterpillar, Daimler, Deere, JLR, John Deere, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen.

- Wallenius Wilhelmsen is listed on the Norwegian Stock Exchange (OSE: WAWI), headquartered in Oslo, 8,200 employees in 29 countries.

- ALS is a non asset based specialist logistics provider offering unique and innovative solutions for oversized, abnormal, exceptional and heavy lift cargo shipments by: road, rail, air and sea both nationally and internationally.

- With 14 offices across EMEA (including in house personnel at Komatsu in Germany, UK, Belgium and Italy) and partners worldwide ALS offers premium logistics services and prides itself on customer care.

- The company has a broad range of customers from manufacturers, to end users, freight forwarders and shipping lines across a variety of sectors including the: power, renewables (as Elevon – a joint venture ALS/ Norsea from 2020), oil and gas, rail, mining, tunnelling and paper segments.

- ALS was founded in 1980 with a team of 90 employed across the ALS group.