16 TANKS & LOGISTICS
A FAMILY AFFAIR ACQUISITION • VAN DEN BOSCH HAS STRENGTHENED ITS POSITION IN SOUTHERN EUROPE THROUGH THE PURCHASE OF TCS TRANS AND ITS INTERMODAL FLEET VAN DEN BOSCH has acquired TCS Trans, a Barcelona-based specialist in intermodal transport for the local petrochemical industry with a focus on dry bulk products, as well as liquids and gases. “Spain is a growth market with a lot of potential,” says Rico Daandels (pictured, right), CEO of Van den Bosch. “With this acquisition, we are taking the next step in developing our intermodal network in southern Europe.” Family-owned TCS Trans, founded in 1958, mainly serves the Spanish and Italian markets, and invests in the development of the intermodal network. The company owns 50 per cent of Multirail, a leading private rail operator in Spain, and also has a share in the intermodal transport company Combiberia, the Iberian market leader in rail transport. Van den Bosch says it is acquiring all the shares in TCS Trans but that the company will continue under its existing name from its current office and all employees will be retained. CEO Juan Castellet San Miguel (pictured, left) will continue as general manager, alongside his brother Eduardo who will maintain his operational and commercial responsibilities. Following the acquisition, Van den Bosch, headquartered in Erp, the Netherlands, now has 11 locations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. In September it boosted its presence in Africa with the addition of 500 new tank containers to operate in Côte d’Ivoire, where it plans to have a new tank cleaning
TCS TRANS IS A REGIONAL LEADER IN THE TRANSPORT OF DRY AND LIQUID BULK PRODUCTS
HCB MONTHLY | NOVEMBER 2021
station in operation in the second quarter of 2022. It is particularly targeting cargoes currently shipped in small packagings or flexitanks. FITTING IN The TCS Trans fleet includes more than 300 containers and 100 trailers and chassis, which are part of the transaction. More than two-third of the fleet comprises pressurised silo containers for the transport of those chemical raw materials that have to be unloaded under pressure. Van den Bosch is already a market leader in this niche and the acquisition will strengthen its position in southern Europe, the company says.
“As a logistics service provider, we have gained a strong position in European logistics. With the acquisition of TCS, we are taking the next step in developing our intermodal network,” says Daandels. “We have been investing significantly in the Spanish market in recent years, as the demand for intermodal bulk transport is increasing and offers a lot of potential. Thanks to the acquisition, we will now also have a physical presence and will be pooling our strengths. From Barcelona, we will now be offering solutions for both dry and liquid bulk for the food and chemical industry.” For his part, Juan Castellet San Miguel is pleased with the deal: “It means that our customers will benefit from Van den Bosch’s network, capacity and knowledge. In recent years, Van den Bosch has built up a strong intermodal network on the European market and, in addition to solutions for dry bulk, also offers liquid bulk transport on a large scale. By pooling our strengths, we can now offer our customers a complete bulk transport solution. Our customers will also benefit from the latest possibilities in the field of automation, technology and data exchange in the supply chain.” www.vandenbosch.com www.tcstrans.com
