Ballymena haulage company McBurney Transport has been bought by Danish shipping company DFDS for nearly £138 million.
The move sees the company, which employs more than 800 people across the UK and Ireland, become part of one of the world’s biggest logistics companies as ownership transfer from the McBurney family who founded the business in 1965.
McBurney Transport focuses on transporting trailers between the island of Ireland and Great Britain, the majority of which are temperature controlled units carrying chilled goods. Under one of its subsidiaries, Bondelivery, it also owns warehousing facilities in Northern Ireland which focus on fulfilment for the retail sector and last mile delivery across the island of Ireland.
It operates some 400 trucks, 1,360 trailers of which two thirds are refrigerated.
Founder Norman McBurney OBE said the takeover provides opportunities for the company.
“By becoming part of DFDS we gain access to new development opportunities,” he said. “ I am certain the wider market coverage, including access to DFDS’ extensive transport network, will benefit our many longstanding customers.
“I am confident that our many loyal and dedicated employees will be comfortable and happy after this transaction.”
DFDS provides ferry and transport services throughout Europe, is headquartered in Copenhagen and listed on city’s Nasdaq stock exchange.
Its chief executive Torben Carlesen said the acquisition was a strategic fit for the business’s cold chain logistics.
“The acquisition of McBurney Transport Group greatly enhances the scope of our customer offerings on the island of Ireland and in the UK, particularly towards the resilient food sector,” he said. “It also brings considerable scale to our existing operations in the region.”
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