Finnish based, family owned intralogistics solutions company K.Hartwall has announced the acquisition of its Australian distribution partner.
Under the acquisition, K.Hartwall will join forces with Retailquip, marking a significant milestone in K.Hartwall’s strategic growth plan to expand its presence in Australia and the APAC region.
“For more than 20 years, both companies have been cooperating to serve Australian customers with best-fit solutions to improve the efficiency of their operations,” K.Hartwall CEO Jerker Hartwall says.
“It all started in 2005 when the first Compactainers were supplied to Coles-Myer to replace their pallet operations. Already back then, we saw the synergies between both companies. We are convinced that it will strengthen our position in the market and enable us to offer even better and more adaptive solutions to our customers, including a rental business model.
“We see Retailquip becoming a hub for us to develop our position within the APAC region, where the need for efficient logistics solutions is greater than ever. Furthermore, our intention is to build a future stronghold for Automation in Australia.”
Hartwall says K.Hartwall is excited to welcome Retailquip’s current management to the K.Hartwall family. Clare Hart-Davies, current Retailquip managing director, along with her management team, will continue to lead the daily operations.
Hart-Davies says her team shares a common goal with K. Hartwall – a commitment to maintaining continuity and reliability for its customers and to build on the success that Retailquip has achieved in Australia over the past two decades.
“We are a proud family run Australian business, so it was important to us that we retain our strong family values, and we are very excited to be welcomed into the K.Hartwall family,” Hart-Davies says.
“Just over 20 years ago, my father met John Hartwall – and one would argue that the Australian retail and logistics landscape hasn’t been the same since!
“K.Hartwall’s commitment to sustainability, quality, efficiency and their customers is unrivalled – and we would know. We have been lucky enough to experience this as a loyal customer of theirs for several decades, and so this acquisition feels like it was meant to be.
“It is a very exciting time to be a part of the supply chain movement in Australia, and we have a great opportunity here to bring more of that Nordic innovation to our shores. I am confident that our future with K.Hartwall will see us continue to support our customers locally while becoming a prominent supplier in the wider APAC region – and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”