International Road Ferry is a major player in the transport market with offices in Rotterdam, Grubbenvorst (Venlo), Felixstowe and Thetford and specialises in unaccompanied transport between Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland both full loads and part loads.

The business has over 25 years of experience in the unaccompanied transport to and from these markets and their knowledge, local offices and short communication lines guarantee first class and reliable customer service.

Culina Group has significantly strengthened its position in the European Logistics Sector with this acquisition.

International Road Ferry will benefit from Group ownership which will provide investment and job retention whilst bringing an entrepreneurial spirit.

“International Road Ferry and Culina Group are complementary businesses, both are strong organisations with well-earned reputations in the industry and hold similar values. This is a great fit which is going to be beneficial for both our staff and for our clients, whilst making Culina Group a key player in European transport”, said Thomas van Mourik, Culina Group CEO,

“It goes without saying that we are acquiring some excellent people, contracts and facilities. This move significantly expands our European network and will enable us to benefit from synergies and efficiencies that will improve our service offer to customers even further.”

Going forward it will be business as usual for International Road Ferry which will sit within Culina Group’s Stobart Intermodal operation headed up by Arthur Koutstaal as Managing Director.

Raff Hustinx, Stobart Europe Managing Director, will be assisting with finance and reporting.

“Culina Group recognises that it is investing in a highly successful business with its own great spirit. Our aim is to now support our growth trajectory with the added infrastructure and resources of the overall Culina Group. The combining of our two businesses will create major opportunities for significantly growing market share.” said Antoine Ligtvoet, CEO, International Road Ferry.

The primary aim for Culina Group is to ensure that all current and prospective customers continue to benefit from market-leading levels of service.

GreenWhiteStar Acquisitions comprises of Eddie Stobart, Eddie Stobart Europe, iForce, The Pallet Network, and The Logistics People.

With an overall turnover of more than £2.2 Billion, a combined workforce of around 22,000 staff, approaching 20 million square feet of warehousing and a joint fleet of more than 5,500 vehicles, Culina Group has significantly strengthened its market leading position in the FMCG Logistics Sector with this acquisition.

GreenWhiteStar Acquisitions will benefit from private ownership with protection of their brands for years to come. The move will also provide job retention, investment, and will bring an entrepreneurial spirit.

“GreenWhiteStar Acquisitions and Culina Group are complementary businesses, two very strong organisations with great reputations in the industry and with similar cultures. This is an excellent fit which is going to be fantastic for both our staff and for our clients, whilst making Culina Group the largest FMCG logistics provider in the UK”, said Thomas van Mourik, Culina Group CEO,

“It goes without saying that we are acquiring some excellent contracts, facilities and people. This move significantly expands our ambient network and will enable us to benefit from synergies and efficiencies that will improve our service offer to customers even further.”

The acquisition extends the existing Culina Group network to over one hundred strategically located distribution centres in the UK following the addition of the forty plus facilities operated by GreenWhiteStar Acquisitions. Culina Group is now the largest privately owned logistics provider in the UK and a business that is undisputed in terms of service.

“Culina Group recognises that it is investing in a highly successful business with its own great family spirit. Culina Group’s aim now is to support our growth trajectory with the added workforce infrastructure and resources of the overall Group.  The GreenWhiteStar Acquisitions Board are extremely pleased to take the group businesses back to private ownership. The combining of our two businesses will create major opportunities for significantly growing our market share.” said William Stobart – GreenWhiteStar Executive Chairman.

Going forward, William Stobart will take a seat on the Culina Group Board for the long term as Deputy Group CEO. The primary aim is to ensure that all current and prospective customers continue to benefit from market-leading levels of service.

IPS is already the market leader in co-packing and by acquiring FoodPack its expanded business is significantly extending the company’s overall service offering. FoodPack operates from an 80,000 sq. ft. facility and 9 acre site in St Helens Lancashire and employs over 150 staff. Turnover in 2018 is over £14 million.

“We are serious about building the best and largest co-packing / co-manufacturing business in the UK,” said IPS Chief Executive Officer Andrew Dawson.

“Significant investment across the IPS network throughout 2018 and the purchase and extension to our Featherstone site has meant that we have been moving increasingly into the co-packing & co-manufacturing markets. As a consequence we approached FoodPack earlier this year. It didn’t take very long for both businesses to see that this was a great fit.”

“IPS are committed to growth and this acquisition presents a natural step on our journey. We have been aware of FoodPack and their success over the past three years. The business has a great reputation, an excellent location and massive scope for further growth.”

FoodPack produce a wide range of ambient foods, both own-label and branded manufacture for many of the leading retailers and brands in the UK. Partners to major retailers and brands throughout the UK, FoodPack provide a total design to delivery service under one roof.

“FoodPack has established good relationships with retailers and manufacturers however, IPS can help broaden FoodPack reach very quickly,” said Steve Smith FoodPack’s Managing Director.

“By coupling our co-manufacturing know how with the experience of IPS and of course a commitment to investment, FoodPack can now look forward to steady, sustainable growth whilst concentrating on what we do best.”

In the coming weeks IPS will finalise the details of the acquisition. The primary aim is to ensure that all current and prospective customers continue to benefit from market-leading levels of service.

The acquisition is a logical next step for both businesses and it made strong commercial sense for Culina Group to bring Robsons (of Spalding) into the family.

This acquisition is another significant and exciting milestone in the development of the Culina Group of Companies.

For example, in Africa, the Oxpecker Bird removes bloodsucking ticks from the hide of a Hippopotamus. Under the ocean, a Clown Fish will keep an Anemone clean from debris in exchange for protection. While on the banks of the Nile the Plover Bird will stand inside the open mouth of a crocodile in order to clean the reptile’s teeth. Better them than me! All of these relationships have been built by each species gaining the trust of the other over many hundreds, if not thousands of years.

Before a potential partner is chosen a number of factors need to come into consideration, such as how will you benefit from this new partnership, what will your potential partner want in return and will it be detrimental in any way to your business? Once the answers to these questions have been determined, many talks follow with the checking of accounts and business models followed by more talks and meetings until all are in agreement that this is the right thing to do to grow each business.

Morgan McLernon started off as a logistics partner for the Culina Group company CML. This relationship existed and flourished over many years only solidifying the bond between the two companies. So much so that in the summer of 2017, Culina Group and Morgan McLernon embarked on a joint venture together. You could even call it a joint ‘adventure’. I apologise for the bad joke but that’s exactly what business partnerships / joint ventures can and should be, an adventure. You will experience highs and lows together, (hopefully more highs) but along the way, you’ll become more intuitive to each other’s business so that you are better equipped to help one another when required. While ultimately becoming stronger in your respective areas of expertise.

A truly successful partnership can be something to admire and be thankful for over many years (if not thousands if you’re a crocodile). Whether you’re an Oxpecker and a Hippo and or two businesses that complement each other, a partnership is a thing to be treasured.

With an overall turnover of more than £400 Million, a combined workforce of around 5,000 staff, approaching 7.5 million square feet of warehousing and a joint fleet of more than 600 vehicles, the Culina Group has significantly strengthened its market leading position in the Ambient Logistics Sector.

“Great Bear and Culina are absolutely complementary businesses, two strong organisations with great reputations, two like-minded companies with similar cultures. This is an excellent fit which is going to be fantastic for staff and for clients”, said Thomas van Mourik, Chief Executive of Culina Group.

“We are acquiring some excellent contracts, facilities and people. This move significantly expands our ambient network and will enable us to benefit from synergies and efficiencies that will improve our service offer to customers even further.

The acquisition extends the existing Culina network to fifty strategically located distribution centres in the UK following the addition of the thirty two facilities currently owned and operated by Great Bear.

“The retention of the Great Bear brand name is testimony to the hard work of our people over the past twenty one years. Culina Group recognises that it is investing in a highly successful company with its own great spirit. Culina’s aim now is to support our growth trajectory with the added workforce infrastructure and resources of the overall Group,” Said Glenn Lindfield – Chief Executive of Great Bear Distribution Limited.

“The Great Bear Board believes this move makes strong commercial sense. The combining of our two businesses will create major opportunities for significantly growing our market share.”

In the coming weeks Culina will finalise the details of the acquisition. The primary aim is to ensure that all current and prospective customers continue to benefit from market-leading levels of service.