Mergers and acquisitions are on the increase in the transport sector. The latest move is by Rhenus Overland Transport Italy, the Italian subsidiary of the German logistics group Rhenus Logistics. The company has just acquired Pesenti Trasporti & Logistica, a family business based in Lombardy. The experts at AURIS Finance, a consultancy specialising in mergers and acquisitions, give you their analysis.
Specialising in national and international transport and integrated logistics, Pesenti has a strong presence in the Lombardy region. Despite the takeover, the Osio Sopra-based company will retain its name and organisational structure. Benedetto Pesenti, son of the founder, will remain at the helm.
A strategic hub
With this acquisition, Rhenus is stepping up its presence in Lombardy, a highly strategic region for the Italian economy, which alone accounts for 20% of the country’s GDP. The region is the strategic junction between the main transport routes of northern Italy and international import and export traffic. Pesenti was founded in 1963 as a transport company. Over the years, the group has expanded its range of services to include logistics, handling and distribution activities on behalf of major national and international clients. The company has a fleet of 75 tractor units, trailers and semi-trailers, as well as a 6,000 m² logistics platform located at the company’s headquarters. The acquisition of Pesenti gives Rhenus the resources it needs to meet the growing demands of the Italian market.
Rhenus strengthens its position
German logistics giant Rhenus is a global logistics specialist with an annual turnover of €8.6 billion. The group employs 39,000 people at 1,120 locations. In addition to transport, Rhenus offers global solutions including warehousing, customs clearance, and value-added services. As a family-owned company, the group has developed through organic growth as well as acquisitions and equity investments. In 2015, Rhenus took over the river chartering activities of CFNR SA under the CFNR Transport brand, with branches in Uckange/Thionville, Kehl/Strasbourg and Dunkirk. It was not until seven years later, in 2023, that the group changed its commercial brand: CFNR Transport became Rhenus Partnership France. Rhenus has also positioned itself on the Iberian Peninsula through a partnership with Grupo Totalmedia, a specialist in the two-man handling market for last-mile deliveries of heavy and bulky goods. This acquisition enabled the group to enter the Spanish and Portuguese markets for the first time. Initially a minority shareholder (49.9%), Rhenus intends to acquire further shares over the next few years in order to become the majority shareholder in the Iberian business. Here, too, the group is following the same strategy of gradually acquiring a well-established local player.
Our experts at your side
An inorganic growth operation makes it possible to address a market quickly. To establish itself in Lombardy, Rhenus decided to keep Pesenti’s trade name and organisational structure in order to benefit from the aura of a local player already firmly established in the economic landscape. Any acquisition has to address important strategic issues that need to be considered well in advance. At AURIS Finance, we have a branch dedicated to the transport and logistics sector. Our experts will be at your side throughout the sale or acquisition process.
