Logistics service provider H.Essers announces the acquisition of the Norwegian-French company Tank Management, more than two years after acquiring tank container specialist Huktra. Tank Management specialises in multimodal transport services of liquid chemicals. With branches in Oslo, Le Havre, Milan and Rotterdam, their geographic coverage complements Huktra’s European presence. The further development of multimodal liquid bulk transport fits in H.Essers’ strategy of delivering integrated and sustainable logistics solutions to the hazardous chemical goods industry.

The Tank Management family business was founded in Oslo in 2006 and has evolved into a European specialist in the temperature-controlled transport of liquid loads, specifically for the chemical and food industries. The transport is mainly organised by rail, apart from short sea and road. The company is a multimodal player, with offices in Oslo, Le Havre, Milan and Rotterdam.
Tank Management has a turnover of 40 million euros, with 35 employees.  Its fleet consists of 800 modern ISO tanks capable of transporting liquids at different temperatures with a range going from -10° to +120°C. As with Huktra, all units are equipped with real-time track & trace. The temperature inside Tank Management’s fleet can be remotely monitored and controlled.

Strategic investment

The development of liquid chemical bulk transport is part of the long-term strategic plan of logistics service provider H.Essers. The company provides integrated logistics solutions to the chemical hazardous goods industry. This is a market segment with complex logistical challenges, stringent regulations and specific operating conditions (such as temperature control, safety and environment). H.Essers is concentrating increasingly on synchromodality: i.e. intelligently combining various modes of transport.

Huktra, a family business based in Zeebrugge and specialising in multimodal transport of liquid chemicals, was acquired at the beginning of 2018. This solid basis is now substantially further developed with the acquisition of Tank Management.

Geographical expansion

With this acquisition, H.Essers is greatly expanding the geographical footprint for liquid chemical logistics. Huktra already had branches in Belgium, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and Romania. The takeover of Tank Management has added France, the Netherlands and Scandinavia to the list.

With these additional regions, the service area is also being expanded. The multimodal transport range for liquid chemicals now extends throughout Europe, from Gibraltar to Moermansk, from Ireland to Urals, and beyond.

Portfolio expansion

H.Essers and Tank Management have joined forces, not only to expand the geographical scope of this specific logistics service, but also to enlarge the service portfolio. Tank Management is an innovative company developing customised supply chain solutions for the customers.

With this takeover, there will be an even stronger focus on temperature controlled liquids transport for the chemical industry. On top of this, Tank Management provides heated and cooled transport of liquid pharma goods and food products.

Joining forces

In H.Essers, Tank Management has found the partner to guide its operations into the next growth phase. “After the substantial growth Tank Management has recorded in recent years, it is now time for the next step,” is said by the families Nordbo & Philippe, the owners of the Norwegian-French company. “Thanks to the acquisition by a strong industrial player such as H.Essers, Tank Management will continue to excel in service, to grow and to expand its expertise in the coming years.”

H.Essers’ CEO, Gert Bervoets, also has strong confidence in the future. “The acquisition of Tank Management fits into our strategy of sustainable development of synchromodality within the chemical segment. It enables us to offer our customers a new way of managing transport flows, which are not only more efficient but, thanks to this approach, also more sustainable. It’s a win-win situation for all parties: customers, logistics service providers and our community”.

“Tank Management is a family business that shares our values”, Gert Bervoets continues. “As is the case in our company, safety and quality are paramount. As an example, material and equipment are renewed with a high frequency, to ensure that the operations meet the most stringent standards and strictest requirements. We are very much looking forward to welcoming our new colleagues into the warm-hearted H.Essers family and to shaping our future together”.

Industry of 100 million and 2,000 ISO tanks

The takeover was completed at the beginning of July. The current Tank Management directors will remain on board, as was the case with the Huktra takeover. The focus in the first phase is on the integration and consolidation towards one entity, specifically for conditioned liquids transport for the chemical industry. This entity represents a turnover of 100 million euros and a fleet of 2.000 ISO tanks.

It is a full takeover. No further financial details will be disclosed.

More info? Bob Van Steenweghen, bob.vansteenweghen@essers.com