Scandlines sells Baltic Sea business
SHIPPING: Stena Line acquires 5 ferry routes from Scandlines: Travemünde - Ventspils/Liepaja, Nynäshamn-Ventspils, Rostock-Trelleborg and Sassnitz-Trelleborg – as well as the BorderShop Sassnitz
"Through the acquisition of the routes from Germany and Sweden to the Baltic States, we are increasing our presence in the southern Baltic and expanding our offering for both freight and passengers. Our ambition is to continue developing the new operations in order to give our customers better service and capacity", says Gunnar Blomdahl, CEO for Stena Line.
Scandlines will in the future focus on its traffic machines Rostock – Gedser, Puttgarden – Rødby and Helsingborg – Helsingør with the main product being individual transportation solutions in the triangle between Germany, Denmark and Sweden.
“At Scandlines, we are always looking at ways to further develop the company. Our strategic objective is to be a consumer-driven ferry operator. Accordingly selling our freight routes at a time of a friendly market environment is a logical step”, explains Søren Poulsgaard Jensen, CEO Scandlines.
“Focusing on our three traffic machines together with our land-based retail operations will help us strengthen our image as a provider of efficient and reliable services in the triangle between Germany, Denmark and Sweden”.
“We are certain that Stena Line will safeguard the future for those routes that are part of the agreement. Stena Line has a long experience in operating passenger- and freight-services in the Baltic Sea and we have for many years been cooperating successfully”, says Søren Poulsgaard Jensen.
Both companies are very satisfied with the agreement that is in line with the strategy for both companies.
Whereas Stena Line previously has been present on the routes between Trelleborg and Germany through cooperation with Scandlines, the Baltic routes represent a new market.
In total, the transaction concerns about 300 employees in Germany, Sweden and the Baltic States. The staff that are employed with Scandlines in Germany and Latvia and who work on the specified routes will be offered new positions with Stena Lines.
The deal is conditioned on approval from the relevant competition authorities.
Source: Scandlines
