WITLOX is specialised in the transport of dry bulk for the petrochemical sector. For GHEYS this is the second take-over in two years. The first in the Netherlands. It is the start of a further internationalisation and expansion of the fleet.
Family business WITLOX has been specialised in national and international bulk transport for the petrochemical sector for over 30 years. Today it has about 20 combinations and is managed by Tinny Witlox. The main area of operation is the Benelux and Germany. WITLOX' sale should be seen in the context of the long-term succession of the family business. Over the coming years, WITLOX wants to grow strongly with the support of a larger group. Tinny will continue to manage the day-to-day operations in the Netherlands.
“WITLOX and GHEYS have known each other for many years and have worked closely together for some time already. The culture of both family businesses is a great match and the activities complement each other perfectly. Both WITLOX and GHEYS customers will benefit from this merger,” says Tinny, founder of WITLOX LOGISTICS OIRSCHOT BV.
Ronny Joos, CEO of Group GHEYS, explains that the WITLOX take-over is fully in line with the strategic choice to further develop international bulk transport with an international fleet and hubs in several European countries. “In doing so we want to secure and optimise the supply of capacity for our customers in an increasingly complex and changing European transport market. After all, the European Mobility Pack, on top of the major shortage of new drivers, will have a major impact on the available fleet capacities within Europe and will lead to an increasing pressure on costs.
“In the near future, we will be looking at other countries,” says Dirk Gheys, chairman of the Board of Directors. “All this is to guarantee our customers the top service they are familiar with and to continue to grow.”
Group GHEYS currently has a fleet of more than 250 trucks (and a multitude of towed equipment) and is active in petrochemicals, food and feed. In addition, GHEYS owns two inland shipping terminals (Mol and Beringen). In addition to transport, it offers its customers logistics services at three locations (Mol, Beringen, Genk) with a total storage capacity of more than 50,000 tonnes of bulk goods and 70,000 tonnes of pallet goods. In Beringen, extra storage capacity for both bulk and pallet goods will be added in 2022. Last but not least, GHEYS has its own 7.05 MWU wind farm, operational since the end of 2020, which enables it to supply (more than enough) green power to its entire logistics site in Beringen.
This year, the GHEYS group will generate a turnover of EUR 82 million. WITLOX will generate a turnover of around EUR 5 million in 2021. This means we are well on the way to exceed the EUR 100 million turnover milestone within three years.
