Victorian transport operator Ryans Transport has taken over Sovereign Transport Solutions
By Ruza Zivkusic-Aftasi | November 18, 2013
Victorian transport operator Ryans Transport has taken over Sovereign Transport Solutions (STS) in a bid to better service existing customers in the Ballarat region.
Ryans finalised the deal today to take over two depots in Ballarat and Melbourne.
STS, an overnight freight distribution specialist, sold for an undisclosed sum. The deal includes the transition of its customers and staff and its fleet of 10 trucks.
Ryans Specialised Services Manager Richard Van Bergeijk says the company has been eyeing acquisitions to become more accessible to customers.
“There were certain parts in the region in which we operate where we were probably not our strongest as we could be – it means that our offerings were not what they could be, so all we’re really doing is strengthening our offer,” he says.
Van Bergeijk says it’s important for the second-generation business to stay ahead of the times to survive.
“It just means that we have to be on our toes and keep up with the current day requirements of our customer,” he says.
“It’s not about what we want to offer, it’s about what they need us to offer.”
Ryans has recently teamed with shipping and logistics service provider Intel Cargo to provide international export and import services.
It has moved staff from its Maidstone depot to Derrimut in Melbourne’s west as part of the venture.
The facility can store up to 4,000 pallets and 100 shipping containers and has been set up as a gateway to the state’s south-west, Van Bergeijk says.
“The decision to go down that part was purely to add on to the strength of the region in which we operate,” he says.
“There’s a lot of activity in import and export so for Ryans to want to play in that space was really about how do we add value to our existing customer base.
“One way that we can do that is to offer services on a door-to-door basis anywhere in the world.
“We’re bringing services to people across the region now at a localised level where they can meet somebody face-to-face whereas in the past they had to strike up a relationship with somebody that they may have never met and that person might have been based in one of the capital cities.”
