The Morbihan-based logistics company, which specialises in the transport of temperature-controlled goods, has just acquired a stake in its Spanish counterpart Indo. The experts at AURIS Finance, a consultancy specialising in mergers and acquisitions, take a closer look at this latest market move.
Delanchy, a family-owned group founded in 1968, quickly made a name for itself in the distribution market with its just-in-time delivery service. After collecting the goods from the ports of Brittany, the lorry leaves at midday to arrive at the Lyon market during the night or in the early hours of the morning. This solution quickly led the company to specialise in the delivery of temperature-controlled products, particularly seafood. In 1985, fifteen years after its creation, the group signed its first contract to transport fresh produce for Auchan. To fulfil this new contract, Delanchy set up a network and acquired Transports Buvry, based in Poitiers.
A European network
Over the years, the Delanchy Group, still based in Guidel in the Morbihan region of Brittany, has made a number of acquisitions to support its growth. The latest of these is not a takeover, but a minority stake that strengthens a long-standing partnership with the Indo Group. Based in Orio and Ondarroa in Spain, the company operates mainly in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and also provides groupage services to France via Delanchy, with routes to Brittany. While benefiting from significant synergies with the Delanchy Group, the Spanish company will remain majority owned by its founding family.
An assertive inorganic growth strategy
This follows a series of other moves in France and Europe. In June 2022, Delanchy acquired BJG Team 24, a Swiss fresh flower haulier. A few months later, the Breton company took over Guiffaut, a seafood transport company based in Finistère, before acquiring Bélier, a group based in northern France specialising in the transport of temperature-controlled goods.
Switching to a greener fleet
Alongside its strategy of inorganic growth, Delanchy has embarked on a process to improve the environmental performance of its fleet. Until 2022, 98% of the company’s fleet was made up of diesel trucks. Delanchy is now committed to a mixed energy approach, using gas, biofuels, and hydrogen. This move to a greener fleet goes hand in hand with a focus on last-mile delivery. To this end, Delanchy has acquired the Paris-based start-up Ayopa, which operates in urban cycle delivery. This acquisition enables Delanchy to anticipate the roll-out of low-emission zones, which will restrict delivery conditions in city centres. Delanchy is positioned throughout the fresh produce distribution chain, right up to the last mile.
Our experts at your side
As environmental impact is increasingly measured, companies are looking for efficient, fast transport solutions with a controlled carbon footprint. By implementing a two-pronged strategy of inorganic growth and greening its fleet, Delanchy has set itself apart in the temperature-controlled goods transport market. The other giants in the sector are now actively on the trail of innovative companies. AURIS Finance’s experts are specialised by sector and will assist you throughout your acquisition or sale.
