Associated British Ports has announced that it has acquired Global Shipping Services Ltd (Global), a leading provider of stevedoring, warehousing, storage and port agency services across the Humber region.
Global will bring a unique set of capabilities for project, heavy lift and cargo handling. Well regarded by its existing strong customer base, ABP’s support and resources will provide the platform for Global to grow further and innovate, not just in the Humber but also across ABP’s network of 19 ports. For ABP, the acquisition extends the range of integrated solutions it can offer customers to bring more efficiency and resilience to their operations.
Henrik L. Pedersen, Chief Executive Officer at ABP said:
“The acquisition of Global Shipping Services is another important step forward for ABP as we pursue our mission of Keeping Britain Trading by continually upgrading our service offerings underpinning our customers' growth ambitions. Global is a great company with great people who we’re looking forward welcoming into the ABP team.”
Andrew Dawes, Regional Director for the Humber at ABP said:
“We’re committed to building on Global’s strong record of success to date and growing their business within the ABP family in the Humber, the UK’s largest trading gateway by volume, and beyond. Growing our services offering is an important complement to our major investments in infrastructure like the new £200m+ Immingham Eastern RoRo Terminal. Having the scale and ambition to deliver both is key to ensuring that the Humber is the port of choice for customers and we’ll keep looking for growth opportunities.”
Peter Waud, Managing Director of Global Shipping Services, who will remain with the business in his current role, said:
“This is an important moment for Global Shipping Services. I’m incredibly proud of what our team has achieved, building a business with a strong reputation for customer service, operational excellence and trusted partnerships across the Humber. Joining ABP gives us access to the resources, expertise and reach of the UK’s leading port operator, creating a powerful platform for future growth. The opportunities that ABP’s extensive port network brings are significant, and I’m excited about what we can achieve together as we begin the next chapter in the Global story.”
Global has established itself as the Humber region’s leading independent port service providers, supporting trade through some of the UK’s busiest ports. Established in 1989 following the merger of several experienced port service businesses operating across Humberside, the company has grown steadily over more than three decades to become a major operator handling over 1.5 million tonnes of cargo annually.
Today, Global operates across the Ports of Hull, Goole and Immingham. Its services span the full range of port logistics, including stevedoring, cargo handling with particular expertise in cargoes such as forest products, steel, bulk and breakbulk operations, heavy lift handling and specialist project cargo services. Away from the quayside Global also offers storage solutions and port agency.
Separately, long time customer Cefetra Ltd has signed a ten-year deal with ABP at Immingham.
The agribulk importer of grain and wheat products has been at Immingham for nearly 30 years, and the new contract secures substantial storage space at the port, reinforcing the company’s long-term commitment to the location.
Paul Litten, Head of Commercial for ABP in the Humber said:
“Securing this ten-year agreement with Cefetra Ltd is an important endorsement of the strategic role the Humber plays in UK supply chains. By combining extensive storage capacity with efficient cargo handling and direct access to markets, we can provide customers with the infrastructure and expertise they need to operate successfully. We are proud to be extending our partnership and look forward to building on that success.”
James Neilson, Cefetra Ltd, said:
“This ten-year agreement reflects our commitment to providing a reliable service to our customers and gives us a strong foundation to plan for the future. Immingham is an important part of our UK supply network, helping us keep raw materials moving efficiently to the businesses that depend on them.
“We value the strong working relationship we have built with ABP and the team at Immingham and look forward to continuing that partnership over the coming decade.”
Cefetra Ltd is one of the UK and Ireland’s major traders of grains and animal feed raw materials, supplying customers across the animal nutrition, food and drink industries, including dairy, beef, poultry, pork and bakery. Founded in 1992, the company handles around five million tonnes of raw material annually and has an annual turnover of more than £1 billion.
Cefetra operates an extensive network of storage and handling facilities across the UK and Ireland, with headquarters in Glasgow and regional offices throughout the country. Cefetra Ltd is part of Cefetra Group, which has more than 120 years of experience in agriculture and international trade, supplying agricultural ingredients to the animal nutrition, food ingredient and energy sectors worldwide.