Danish ship supplier Wrist Ship Supply acquires Belgian competitor Van Hulle in order to strengthen its position in Belgium and the Netherlands.
After the acquisition, Van Hulle will continue to operate as a stand-alone business unit. Van Hulle’s management team, led by Bart van Hulle, will continue to run the operation out of Antwerp and Zeebrugge, where the former family-owned business has warehouse and storage facilities, centrally located in the port areas.
Commenting on the deal, Robert Kledal, CEO of Wrist, said: «We are looking forward to initiate a great cooperation with Van Hulle and we will for sure benefit both ways from each our experiences in the ship supply market.»
For more than a decade it has been part of Wrist’s strategy to take a leading role in the global consolidation of a traditionally fragmented ship supply industry, typically composed of locally based and often family-owned businesses. Consequently, Wrist is continuously examining various opportunities for further growth, including acquisitions as well as start-ups.
