The canal barge to warehousing operator TMA Multimodal has acquired two Dutch container terminals. The logistics specialist has picked up terminals in Utrecht and Lelystad. The deal sees TMA take on the business of Container Terminal Utrecht BV (Utrecht location) and CTU Flevokust BV (Lelystad location) as of 3 October 2024.
Amsterdam-headquartered TMA Multimodal is well known throughout the Netherlands. It is about to become somewhat more so. The two terminals acquired in this month’s deal were both operated by the equally well-known Dutch company Container Terminal Utrecht, and divested by the ultimate parent, another familiar Dutch operation, Theo Pouw Group.
Important strategic locations
The new terminals will significantly improve the roster of TMA facilities. “This strategic expansion of our multimodal network enables us to further strengthen our position in container transport,” said a company statement. TMA is already active in those parts of the country, which may well have been the impetus behind the acquisitions. TMA Multimodal already provides multimodal logistics solutions in the Netherlands, and from facilities it operates across the border in Antwerp, Belgium. They have an extensive network of barge, rail and road transport within their portfolio.
Utrecht is at the hub of the Dutch railway network, and also at the confluence of several commercial canals. Lelystad is a community with harbour facilities on the vast stretch of reclaimed land, now known as Flevoland, but what was once the Zuiderzee. It is a planned agricultural and light industrial growth area for the Dutch economy.“The terminals in Utrecht and Lelystad are at important strategic locations, where we sail several times a day,” says TMA. “The acquisition offers us the opportunity to further realise our ambition to play a leading role in the logistics chain.”
Network optimisation
In Lelystad, TMA Multimodal say they expect growth in business activity and new logistics activities. They have recognised the potential for handling agricultural produce as a priority. The company has expressed an interest in setting up what they call an agri-hub for potatoes and onions. The terminal in Utrecht is somewhat less rural, and is located on an important industrial estate, with a broad spectrum of clients and where the potential for business growth was also an attractive factor.
“The addition of these terminals to our network will allow us to further increase the frequency between our inland terminals and Rotterdam, improving the service for our current locations and customers,” says TMA. “It gives us the opportunity to further optimise our network and to better respond to challenges such as digitisation, sustainability and labour shortages.”