IRISH Sea freight-only operator Seatruck is set to move into new ownership.
The non-core RoRo cargo operation, which operates a daily route from Warrenpoint to Heysham, is being offloaded by Clipper Group to allow its current Denmark-based owner to focus on its dry cargo operations.
CLdN, one of Europe’s leading multi-modal logistics providers, has been confirmed as the buyer of Seatruck, although the sale - the price of which has not been disclosed - remains subject to regulatory approval from the Irish competition authorities.
Seatruck Ferries (www.seatruckferries.com) was founded in 1996 with a single vessel and has been in Clipper Group ownership since 2002.
It owns eight purpose-built RoRo vessels, of which six are operating on the Irish Sea (other routes include Heysham-Dublin and Liverpool-Dublin).
Across its entire route network, more than 350,000 trailers a year - ranging from tippers, tanks, flats, refrigerated and hazardous units - are handled by Seatruck, underlining its importance to the import and export of goods into Ireland, to where it transports almost a fifth of the island’s seaborne cargo volumes.
CLdN operates 20 modern RoRo vessels offering 130 weekly sailings between the ports of Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, London, Killingholme, Liverpool, Dublin, Cork, Gothenburg, Esbjerg, Santander and Porto.
Its cargo division owns a fleet of 4500 trailers and 45ft containers, providing door-to-door logistics services.
CLdN chief executive Florent Maes said: “We're delighted with the agreement, which is in line with our overall strategy of expanding current trades and developing new routes.
“Seatruck Ferries is an excellent company with a great route network and a strong business model. It will be a valuable addition to our comprehensive route network and particularly adds to our presence in the UK and Irish markets.”
Clipper Group chief executive Amrit Peter Kalsi added: “Given the continued robust performance by Seatruck, we believe this is the right time to divest the company.
“Following a competitive process, we're pleased to be handing over the baton to a strong, long-term, industrial owner as CLdN and now look forward to focus 100 per cent on our dry cargo core business.”
If the deal passes its regulatory barriers, the Seatruck operation will continue to run under the Seatruck Ferries brand, with the existing management team led by Alistair Eagles.
