Hellmann to acquire shares in Honold International
The Honold Logistics and Real Estate Group and Hellmann Worldwide Logistics have agreed that, effective January 1, 2027, Hellmann will acquire the shares in Honold International GmbH & Co. KG, which operates the groupage business at the Neu-Ulm location.
As a result, the Neu-Ulm road location will become part of Hellmann’s nationwide road network in Germany.
For both family-owned companies, the transaction is a logical step in line with their respective strategic direction. By acquiring the Neu-Ulm location, Hellmann is strengthening its road network in southern Germany. At the same time, Honold will focus its entrepreneurial and financial resources even more strongly on its strategic growth areas of contract logistics, logistics real estate, defence, and Night Star Express. The groupage business in Neu-Ulm is one division within the Honold Logistics and Real Estate Group. Of the Group’s approximately 1,400 employees, around 150 work in this business area.
With Hellmann, a long-standing partner is taking over the groupage activities in Neu-Ulm. The two companies have worked together closely and trustfully for many years and are both closely connected to the German groupage network NG.network. For Hellmann, the acquisition represents another step in systematically advancing its growth ambitions in the Road product area.
The groupage business in Neu-Ulm has been an established part of the Honold Logistics Group for many years and has made a positive contribution to business development. However, in view of Honold’s strategic focus, the business does not provide the economic basis required for independent long-term development and expansion. The transaction therefore creates a sustainable future for the groupage business while enabling Honold to concentrate its resources more strongly on the Group’s strategic growth areas. The property in Neu-Ulm will remain part of Honold’s portfolio and will be used by Hellmann under a long-term lease agreement. Through the transaction, Honold is combining a reduction in operational risks with a strengthening of the Group’s long-term earnings and investment base. Honold’s other transport and logistics activities in Neu-Ulm, as well as the company’s headquarters, remain unaffected by the transaction. The Advisory Board of the Honold Logistics and Real Estate Group supports the strategic realignment and regards the transaction as a forward-looking and strategically sound decision for the company’s long-term development. The employment relationships of the employees of Honold International GmbH & Co. KG will continue unchanged. The shared objective of both companies is to reliably maintain the existing relationships with customers, partners, transport companies, and suppliers, and to strategically develop the Neu-Ulm location further within Hellmann’s road network.
With the acquisition of the Neu-Ulm location, the number of Hellmann locations within NG.network will increase from 16 to 17. This strengthens the company’s presence in the economically strong region of southern Germany. As part of the nationwide groupage network NG.network, Hellmann provides comprehensive national connections as well as links to key European markets through closely coordinated direct, gateway, and network services. The Neu-Ulm location is already part of NG.network.
“With Neu-Ulm, we are specifically strengthening our road network in southern Germany and further expanding our operational presence in an important economic region for us. The location is an ideal addition to our existing network and creates further opportunities to offer our customers high-performance and reliable groupage solutions. At the same time, we look forward to working with the experienced local team to successfully develop Neu-Ulm further. The acquisition therefore marks another important step in our growth journey as part of our strategy Forward2030,” says Stefan Borggreve, Chief Operating Officer Road, Rail & CEP, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics.
“The groupage business in Neu-Ulm is an established part of our Group. With Hellmann, we have found a long-standing partner that is both able and committed to developing this business area further within a large European road network. For Honold, the transaction is a strategic step: we are concentrating capital and management resources on our core business areas where we see opportunities for growth and investment – particularly logistics real estate, contract logistics, defence, and Night Star Express. The property in Neu-Ulm will remain a long-term part of our portfolio,” says Heiner Matthias Honold, Managing Director of the Honold Logistics and Real Estate Group.
