Logistics firm expands European foothold with South West acquisition
Warrington-headquartered Abbey Logistics has announced the acquisition of a South West based liquid tanker specialist giving the company a stronger footprint in Europe.
The deal with Welch Hire extends Abbey’s network coverage with the addition of 48 bulk liquid road tankers and 13 tractor units.
The deal also gives Abbey an operating site in the South West and a larger customer footprint in Europe, which Abbey says will open further commercial opportunities for the business.
Welch is well known in the bulk liquid food and animal feed markets in both the UK and Europe, and the company shares several customers with Abbey.
The combined business adds further scale, capability, and flexibility into its operations.
Founded in 1998, Welch Hire has a large and modern liquid bulk road tanker fleet, and in addition to their tank hire business, the company provides both fully managed logistics solutions and single ‘spot’ product movements of bulk liquid food grade products throughout the UK and Europe.
Welch’s employees will transfer to Abbey under the deal and the company will be integrated into the Abbey brand following a period of familiarisation.
Steve Granite, Abbey Logistics CEO said: “This acquisition is a natural step for us as we further enhance our market-leading position in bulk liquid food and boost the support we provide to customers in the UK and Europe.
“Through strategic acquisitions like this, we are unlocking opportunities in new geographies and accelerating the growth we have seen in the business in the last two years.
“We are fully committed to supporting our liquid food grade customers and this acquisition is a demonstration of that commitment, and our willingness to invest significantly to ensure we deliver an outstanding service in terms of dependability, flexibility and scale.
“Through this deal we are acquiring some great people and a strong tanker fleet, and we are looking forward to welcoming the Welch Hire team into our business.”
