One of Northern Ireland’s largest haulage firms, McBurney Transport Group, has been recently acquired by the Danish international shipping and logistics company, DFDS. Ballymena-based McBurney Transport presently has over 800 employees and operates around 400 trucks and 1,360 trailers. The agreement was signed for DKK 1.2bn (£142. 7 million), including both, McBurney Refrigeration Ireland Ltd, and Bondelivery NI Ltd. This acquisition was in line with DFDS’s vision of expansion and strategic focus on cold chain logistics.
When interviewed about the same, Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS said “The acquisition of McBurney Transport Group greatly enhances the scope of our customer offerings on the island of Ireland and in the UK, particularly towards the resilient food sector. It also brings considerable scale to our existing operations in the region.” He added “DFDS is dedicated to serving the UK and Irish markets with reliable and efficient transport and logistics services. With increasing importance, we connect our UK and Irish services with the rest of Europe through our extensive network. With the acquisition of the McBurney Transport Group, we enhance the scope of our customer offerings, particularly towards the resilient food sector.”
Norman McBurney, OBE, founder of McBurney Transport Group commented on this deal by saying “By becoming part of DFDS we gain access to new development opportunities. I am certain the wider market coverage, including access to DFDS’ extensive transport network, will benefit our many longstanding customers. I am confident that our many loyal and dedicated employees will be comfortable and happy after this transaction.”
