Scan Global Logistics (SGL), headquartered in Denmark, announces that CVC Capital Partners Fund VIII (CVC) has agreed to acquire a majority shareholding in the company from an investor group led by AEA Investors Small Business Private Equity (AEA).
With revenues of more than $3bn, SGL offers a full suite of end-to-end services across +150 locations in 45 countries and through +3,300 logistics professionals. The company, known for its customer-first, purpose-driven approach, has since 2017 seen an average annual growth in revenues of 33 %, driven by above-market organic growth, combined with more than 30 acquisitions during the same period. SGL’s service offering comprises end-to-end, logistics and freight forwarding solutions tailor-made for each region, vertical and individual customer. The company holds leading positions in key verticals such as aid & relief, fashion & retail, automotive, technology, general manufacturing, food ingredients & additives, and pharma & healthcare.
Allan Melgaard, Global CEO and Co-Founder of SGL, expands on the growth strategy: “Our people are our most valuable asset. We want to become the industry's preferred workplace, attracting the best talent with a defined ambition of becoming the most purpose-driven logistics company in the world. We are ambitious and believe that we can reach our revenue target of more than $5bn during the next few years by continuing to leverage our entrepreneurial culture, agile decision making, and high customer satisfaction obtained through tailored competitive logistics solutions.”
The transaction will see both AEA and management co-invest alongside CVC to participate in the journey that lies ahead. This serves as a testament to the positive conviction about the future prospects of the business that is shared between current and future owners.
Allan Melgaard welcomes CVC: “We are excited to welcome CVC onboard. Our talks over the past months and CVC’s support for our ambitious growth strategy and plans have convinced us that they are a perfect match for SGL professionally and culturally, and will support our future plans via their deep industry knowledge.”
Christoffer Sjøqvist, Senior Managing Director at CVC, adds: “SGL has built a competitive company and global logistics platform in a relatively short period of time. We are excited about our investment in SGL and believe that the company has the potential to become one of the leaders in its industry, and continue to improve its competitive situation, including during a more challenging economic climate in 2023.”
Philip Ropcke, Director at CVC, adds: “We have been truly impressed with SGL and look forward to working with Allan and his talented team to grow and develop SGL’s global market position further, both organically as well as through acquisitions. We feel privileged that management has chosen us as their partner for the journey that lies ahead.”
John Cozzi, Partner at AEA & Co-Head of Small Business Private Equity, comments: “We have tremendously enjoyed the partnership with the SGL team since 2016, supporting them in their transformative quest to become a global network logistics provider. We are therefore very pleased to remain a significant minority shareholder and participate in the company’s future growth and value creation.”
Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in Q2 2023 and is subject to regulatory approval and certain financing conditions.
Barclays served as the exclusive sell side M&A advisor to SGL, and Rothschild & Co. served as the exclusive buy side M&A advisor to CVC.
