The story of the trajectory

What prompted you to partner with JBR?

'Last year in September, my sisters and brother indicated that they wanted to withdraw as shareholders. The four of us each had a quarter of the shares. Then you start calculating and exploring options. A year earlier I had already become acquainted with JBR when we wanted to take over another company. JBR's meticulousness, knowledge of business and way of guiding us had made an impression, even though that takeover ultimately did not go through. And when we subsequently wanted to put our company in the shop window ourselves, they were the obvious partner.'

How was the process?

'Broadly speaking: JBR approached some sixty parties around the world. They did this preselection very meticulously. In doing so, they kept us out of the wind; we were able to continue with the company and its daily business. In the end, about four parties remained, which were presented to us. These parties participated in the competitive takeover process that JBR supervised'.

What considerations were salient in this process?

'QTerminals turned out to be a party that has a similar vision of growth and future as we do. The click in the first conversation with the CEO of QTerminals was very important in this respect. Kramer has now been taken over, but the Kramer name remains part of the new name, and, more importantly, the expansion plans are broadly in line with those we had ourselves. For example, we are now exploring expansion in Antwerp and Duisburg. So the company basically remains the same but continues to grow as we would have liked to do ourselves.'

How were the reactions from staff and customers?

'Very positive. We involved the staff, in close cooperation with JBR of course, in the plans at an early stage. As a result, there was no unrest, just understanding and trust. And that is also what the customers have expressed: they have confidence in the continuity and further growth of the company. The future is professionally guaranteed through the takeover.

Source: Nieuwsblad Transport

Contact the team personally if you would like to learn more about this M&A transaction

JBR has more than 30 years of experience in the Maritime & Offshore sector

JBR has more than 35 years of experience in the Maritime & Offshore sector.
Clients include ship owners and operators of tankers and bulk carriers, tugboat owners, offshore service operators, inland waterway companies, tank terminal operators, terminal operators, port authorities, ship builders, system integrators, ship managers, suppliers to the maritime and offshore industry, investors and companies active in the field of sustainability.

Here are some references from the Maritime & Offshore sector: