Major Culina Group Acquisition Creates A £2.2 Billion FMCG Logistics Business

Culina Group, the market-leading provider of shared-user FMCG logistics services, has announced an agreement to take over GreenWhiteStar Acquisitions as from Thursday 1st July 2021. The terms of the agreement, including consideration, have not been disclosed.

LONDON, July 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 centers 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.

Press Release Further Information

PLEASE NOTE:

Only the supplied photo is to be used in conjunction with this press release.

PHOTO CAPTION

(From left to right) Chris Price, CFO Ambient; David Pugh, CFO Chilled; Alastair Isbister, CEO - Great Bear and Warrens; Thomas van Mourik, CEO - Culina Group; Ryan Wheeler, CEO - Unity Resourcing Solutions; Gary Donnelly, CIO - Culina Group; Glyn Davies, Non-Exec Director – Culina Group; Richard Berry, HR Director – Culina Group; Andrew Dawson, CEO - IPS; Steve Winwood, CEO - Culina Logistics; John Kerrigan, CEO - Fowler Welch; Philip Clarke, MD - Morgan McLernon; Nigel Jury, Company Secretary - Culina Group; William Stobart, Deputy CEO - Culina Group; Tom Middlemiss, MD – Warrens; Rebecca Smith, Legal Director; David Pickering, CEO - Eddie Stobart; Paul Thirkell, MD – iForce; Carl Stairs, MD - The Logistics People; Mark Kendall, MD - The Pallet Network; Raf Hustinx, MD - Eddie Stobart Europe

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Culina Group is an established market-leading ambient and chilled food & drink 3PL specialist providing warehousing, distribution, contract packing, and services for bonded goods across the UK and Ireland. Culina Group companies include - Culina Logistics, Great Bear Distribution, Fowler Welch, AIM Logistics, CML, Morgan McLernon, IPS, FoodPack, MMiD, Warrens, and Unity Resourcing. Working hand-in-hand with global leading brands and manufacturers plus a multitude of own-label producers and developing companies Culina Group's strategic focus is on food & drink logistics within a shared-user environment, driven by volume and critical mass to deliver efficient and cost effective solutions for clients of all sizes.

GreenWhitestar Acquisitions Limited (GWSA) comprises of five well-known businesses - Eddie Stobart is a leading supply chain, transport and logistics business, providing services to many of the UK's best-known brands. Eddie Stobart Europe operate pan European with 250 trucks, from specialist car transporters to general cargo vehicles that are based in Belgium, Czech Republic and Bulgaria. iForce provides e-commerce logistics, fulfilment, returns processing and carriage management solutions for leading UK brands and retailers. The Pallet Network is one of the UK's largest palletised freight distribution service providers with over 120 regional partners operating from over 150 locations. The Logistics People is a temporary staff provider to the logistics industry, specialising in the recruitment of drivers and industrial workers and provision of site security, managed from a centralized 24/7 monitoring suite.

PRESS ENQUIRIES

Paul Willocks, Culina Group Marketing Manager
Tel: 07423 467694, Email: paul.willocks@culina.co.uk

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1555946/Culina_Group_Senior_Management.jpg