John Allan has begun German lessons as he sees Exel’s merger with DHL Logistics as a chance to finish the job he started, he tells Angela Jameson.
Read MoreDeutsche Post said Monday it will pay about USD443 million for a 75 percent stake in Britain’s Williams Lea Group Ltd. with an eye toward acquiring it completely. The company said Williams Lea should bolster its own document management and logistics business. Under the terms of the deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, Williams Lea will operate independently of Deutsche Post and keep its board of directors. “We have been very impressed with Williams Lea and its management team. They have demonstrated an impeccable track record for delivering growth, integrating acquisitions and delivering a best-in-class service to clients,” said Hans-Dieter Petram, a member of Deutsche Post’s board. He added that that the company would help augment its DHL Global Mail. “We see considerable potential to leverage our world class mail and logistics capability in adding more value to Williams Leas customer proposition,” Petram said. Currently, 38 percent of Williams Lea is owned by the venture capital firm 3i Group.
Read MoreDeutsche Post AG said it plans to acquire 75 pct of UK-based Williams Lea for 370 mln eur in order to expand its worldwide logistics operations. Williams Lea issued a statement on its Website saying it ‘welcomes Deutsche Post as new principal investor,’ and that it will continue to operate as an independent entity. We are delighted with the outcome of our recent negotiations and Deutsche Post World Nets decision to become our principal investor,’ chief executive Tim Griffiths said in the statement. Williams Lea had annual revenues of 438 mln stg in the fiscal year through Sept 30, 2005.
Read MoreTNT has received a large number of expressions of interest in its contract logistics business from both trade and financial parties, and may sell the unit ahead of schedule, according to people familiar with the process. When TNT announced the decision to divest in December, it said it expected to complete the sale in the second half of 2006. However the speed at which the process is moving suggests it may be finalised sooner, those people said. TNT wants to divest the business as one unit, without breaking it up, but a piecemeal sale is possible. However, while the latter course would be more complex, it is not considered an insurmountable obstacle. Alternatively, a buyer for the entire business might separately sell on some activities to a third party. The assets on offer comprise operations and warehouses in 40 countries on five continents, focused primarily on automotive, fast-moving consumer goods, publishing and hi-tech electronics sectors, with sales of Euros 3.4bn (Dollars 4bn), 27 per cent of the group total.
Read MoreDeutsche Post World Net will take a majority stake in Williams Lea, a business process outsourcing (BPO) provider specializing in document management and mail services. Headquartered in London, Great Britain, Williams Lea is a leading provider of value-added document and mail-related services, offering a wide range of products in the areas of print management, mailroom management, document management as well as direct marketing. As the number one service provider in the UK and Europe, Williams Lea has significantly strengthened its international presence through organic and acquisitive growth, especially in the USA. With the acquisition of a majority stake in Williams Lea, Deutsche Post World Net strengthens not only the presence of its brand DHL Global Mail in foreign mail markets, but also builds upon the breadth of its global mail services. This strengthens the overall position of the Deutsche Post World Net Group as the leading one-stop-shop for the provision of express, logistics and mail services.
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