Felbermayr acquires barging companies of SNCB Logistics

Belgian rail freight group SNCB Logistics sells H&S Container Line, Haeger & Schmidt International and its majority stake in RKO to Austrian Felbermayr group
 
SNCB Logistics Group has sold all of its shares in the three inland shipping companies H&S Container Line GmbH, Haeger & Schmidt International GmbH and RKE N.V. with together around 180 employees to Felbermayr Holding GmbH ( Austria) with retroactive effect as of January 1, 2013. H&S Container Line GmbH was a 100 percent affiliate of Inter Ferry Boats (affiliate of SNCB Logistics); Haeger & Schmidt International GmbH was a 100 percent affiliate of Xpedys (affiliate of SNCB Logistics). Xpedys also held a 61,46 percent stake in RKE NV. ThyssenKrupp continues to hold its 38,54 percent stake in RKE. The management and staff remain in place and the continuity of the activities of the three companies is assured.
 
With this transaction, SNCB Logistics executes another key measure of its restructuring plan. The company indeed wants to focus on its core rail freight business, and notably become a competitive private railway company. For Felbermayr, the acquisition of these three barging companies complements the already existing port facilities in Linz and Krefeld am Rhine and provides future synergies. Both buyer and seller intend to continue the mutually beneficial commercial cooperation, such as the key railway connections from the Belgian ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge to Duisburg, Andernach, Ottmarsheim and Strasbourg.
 
Felbermayr is a family business with about 2,500 employees, founded in 1942. For the time being, the company has 19 locations in Austria and altogether 62 branches in 15 countries. Its core business is situated both in transport & lift-techniques (special transports, crane- and gantry rental) and in construction industry. 
 
SNCB Logistics, headquartered in Brussels, is an independent rail freight company that is part of the SNCB group. The group was created in 2008 by integrating all companies that were active in the SNCB freight division to bring strengths and complementary activities under one sound structure. On 1 February 2011, the company SNCB Logistics became operational as a rail operator. The group’s commercial flagships are IFB for container transport and Xpedys for logistical solutions for conventional transport (heavy industries and industrial & consumer goods). SNCB Logistics is responsible for rail production in Belgium, and calls on reliable partners such as Cobra and Sibelit for international rail transport.