Maersk bolsters project cargo capabilities with Martin Bencher acquisition

Maersk (Maersk) has reached an agreement to acquire Martin Bencher Group, a Denmark-based project logistics company with premium capabilities within non-containerized project logistics.

Martin Bencher was founded in 1997 and is an asset-light logistics provider specialized in project logistics. It is headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark, and has 31 offices in 23 countries, with almost 170 employees.

With the acquisition, Maersk will also introduce a new product, Maersk Project Logistics. It will offer design, special cargo transportation, and project management services – including detailed planning, orchestration, and sequencing of end-to-end shipments from suppliers to destination sites. Maersk will consolidate its niche project capabilities based in Europe and North America into a global product offering.

Such service requires managed transportation capabilities with deep technical specialist knowledge around specific supply chain elements such as handling of oversized and special lift cargo, conducting road surveys, and delivery planning as well as offload and assembly of the equipment on sites.

“Martin Bencher will be an excellent fit to Maersk and our integrator strategy. When Martin Bencher joins the Maersk family, we will be able to deliver project logistics services with a high degree of reliability, a proven track-record, and a strong focus on Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE). In addition to supporting our existing customers’ project logistics needs, we will also be able to provide a more comprehensive offering to a wide array of industries,” said Karsten Kildahl, Regional Managing Director in Europe of Maersk.

Renewable energy, pulp and paper, power generation, mining, automotive, aid and relief, government contracted logistics and industrial manufacturing are frequent users of project logistics services.

“We are thrilled to become an integral part of Maersk, which we see as an ideal fit for our people and clients. Clients requiring project logistics are aware of the constraints and challenges facing them and are seeking strategic partners with sufficient ambitions and strength to handle their entire global supply chain now and in the years to come. Together with Maersk, we will have the scale, commitment, and capabilities to handle the entire logistics scope of work for clients around the world – as well as expand into new industries,” says Peter Thorsoe Jensen, CEO of Martin Bencher.

The deal is subject to regulatory approval.