Up to 25 companies are reportedly interested in acquiring DB Schenker, according to HLPFI sister title DVZ. Deutsche Bahn officially launched the sale of its freight forwarding subsidiary in late 2022.
Deutsche Bahn said that the process would be “open and non-discriminatory” and the condition for the sale is that it must have “apparent economic advantages for Deutsche Bahn in all respects”. The German national railway company said that it will retain all proceeds from the sale, a large part of which will be used to reduce debt, while the sale will allow it to increase focus on its core rail business.
Companies rumoured to be interested include Maersk, MSC, DSV, UPS, DHL, DP World and Abu Dhabi Ports. DVZ reports that as many as 25 companies could be interested in the forwarder. Interested parties had until January 15 to ask for extra information and until February 6 to submit their registration documents. Among 11 considerations, DVZ reports that interested parties should show they have experience with logistics mergers and acquisition deals of this size and have the appropriate financial resources.
HLPFI sister title Air Cargo News reports that Maersk would now consider making an offer for DB Schenker, having previously dismissed the idea. Speaking after its fourth-quarter results, chief executive Vincent Clerc said the company had now changed its mind on a possible bid for the forwarder given the sector’s resilient earnings post-covid and an apparent change of perception from shippers when it comes to a carrier also owning a forwarder.
“Our strategy is very clear, we need to diversify our revenue streams and our earning streams towards the more stable and less volatile part of the supply chain, which is pretty much anything outside ocean/2PL,” he said. “In that respect, having something like Schenker coming on the market is definitely something that Maersk cannot simply say we are not even going to look at.”
