JL Transports announces the acquisition of Sarl Lagarde et Fils, a haulage firm based in the Nièvre region. This is the group’s second acquisition of 2024. The experts at AURIS Finance, a consultancy specialising in mergers and acquisitions, explain this latest market move.
The latest acquisition by JL Transports marks a significant expansion into the specialist transport and trading of fodder straw. Founded in 1991, Lagarde & Fils is based in Luzy, in the Nièvre region of France, and employs around ten people. The company is a market leader in the transport sector, with a unique and highly specialised expertise in a niche area. Up until this point, the transport and trading of fodder straw has accounted for just 10% of the total business of the JL Transports group. The acquisition of Lagarde et Fils has reinforced the JL Transports group’s position in the fodder straw market.
Two acquisitions in 2024
This is not the first acquisition for the JL Transports group. In February 2024, the group acquired the tipper business of TMF, also based in the Nièvre region. Subsequently, the group acquired a portion of the business, including the tipper business (for cereals, scrap metal and moving floors). TMF will continue to operate its other non-tipper transport activities, including providing exceptional convoy solutions, services for industrial, agricultural and military customers, and transporting goods using flatbed semi-trailers. Furthermore, the acquisition includes 20 vehicle registrations, comprising 10 motor vehicles and eight drivers. This acquisition increases the JL Transports workforce to 50.
Pooling and cooperatives
JL Transports now operates across five business areas: general, agri-food and industrial goods transport; courier services; full and half load transport; and the transport and trading of FMA (Fond Mouvant Alternatif) cereal tippers. The company has recently expanded its operations to include the transport and trading of fodder straw. JL Transports, which also has its roots in the Nièvre region, operates a fleet of 180 vehicles. It is a member of the ABS Transports cooperative, based in Burgundy, France Comté. This cooperative groups together 16 hauliers specialising in dry bulk. This partnership provides access to a pooled fleet and centralised resource management. As a member of the cooperative, JL Transports also benefits from an extended presence throughout France, as well as in neighbouring countries. Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Impetus from the executive
This development strategy was spearheaded by a new management team. In 2022, Anicet Lenoir assumed the role of CEO at JL Transports with the objective of strengthening the company’s assets through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions. The transport sector is currently undergoing a significant period of consolidation. In recent months, other French specialists have also merged as a result of their executives’ initiatives. This is particularly evident in the case of Groupe Rousseau, a prominent entity in the transportation and logistics sector. Following the integration of Transports Charrier and Boudet, the Group proceeded to acquire Van de Walle, a prominent player in the Nord-Île de France-Centre-Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
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