Smart Deal prepares the group for consolidation, with DCTS providing an immediate first strategic reinforcement
With a Smart Deal, Ghent-based logistics group Transuniverse has laid the foundations for a new phase of growth. Management and the second generation are joining the shareholder base, giving the group the capacity to pursue targeted consolidation. In June, ten Ziegler business units already joined the group. Now, Wommelgem-based DCTS is joining as well. The transaction was advised by SDM Corporate Finance Group.
Smart Deal as a foundation
The Smart Deal significantly changes Transuniverse’s shareholder structure. In addition to the Adins family, members of the management team are also investing in the company. Those who have helped steer the business for years are thus becoming co-owners of the group. The second generation is given a clear role, while founder Frank Adins remains closely involved in the group’s strategy and growth plans as chairman.
“If you want to consolidate, you first need to have your own house in order,” says Frank Adins. “Only the Smart Deal brought together everything we were looking for: a management team that becomes co-owner, a place for the next generation and financing ready for the next phase. That foundation allows us to grow quickly and with confidence.”
Ziegler and DCTS: putting the strategy into practice
The first steps followed quickly. In June, shortly before the Smart Deal was completed, around ten Ziegler business units joined the group, with operations in Antwerp, Vilvoorde, Ghent, Rekkem and Herstal, among other locations. Their activities include road transport, customs, logistics and maritime forwarding. With DCTS, Transuniverse is now taking the next step.
DCTS was founded in 2011 by David Créteur. The company specialises in chartering, special transport and tailor-made transport solutions across the Benelux and Europe, ranging from full loads and groupage to express transport. DCTS strengthens Transuniverse’s Solutions division, with teams in Wondelgem, Wommelgem and Herstal. The three employees and David Créteur will be integrated into the Welpa Trans team in Wommelgem over the coming months.
“I wanted to give DCTS a future without losing what makes us strong: speed, flexibility and a personal relationship with our customers,” says David Créteur. “Transuniverse does not see chartering as a secondary activity, but as an area worth investing in. As we say ourselves: one network, combined strengths. Shared ambition, joint growth.”
With Ziegler and DCTS, Transuniverse now has a turnover of approximately €135 million, 180 employees and 13 locations.
Ready for the next steps
The Belgian logistics market is highly fragmented. Many players face succession issues, margin pressure or a lag in digitalisation, while customers increasingly expect a broader range of services and greater geographical coverage. Groups that are able to integrate successfully can make the difference.
“Buy-and-build only works if you have a strong foundation,” says Eddy Verbrugge, senior partner at SDM Corporate Finance Group. “Integrating one company is one thing. Integrating a series of companies is something else entirely. The organisation needs to be ready, and the management team needs to be able to handle it. That is why the Smart Deal at Transuniverse came first, followed only then by the focus on acquisitions. Ziegler and DCTS show how quickly things can move, and the next steps are already being prepared.”
