Lennart Grabe, President and CEO of Posten AB (The Swedish Post Group) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Martin Vial the President of the French postal services, La Poste. This memorandum covers the opportunity for La Poste to propose to one of Europe's largest package networks DPD (La Poste owns 85 percent of DPD), Direct Parcel Distribution, to enter into franchise agreements with Posten AB concerning Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.
Today Posten also has entered into an agreement with the Danish transport and logistics company, DSV Parcel Holdning A/S for the purchase of package operations in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Posten will purchase 100 percent of DSV Parcel Holding A/S (Denmark) and DPD Finland OY, as well as 50 percent of Norwegian Tollpost Globe AS. In Sweden, Posten will take over the package operations of Fraktarna AB.
The agreement with DSV A/S involves a purchase price of approximately one billion SEK, as well as an assumption of loans of about 300 million SEK.
Posten is also negotiating an agreement with La Poste in which Posten, through La Poste's subsidiary Chronopost, will gain access to Chronopost's European and intercontinental express network in alliance with FedEx of the United States.
Increased volumes in package operations will promote cost efficiency, and will be an important factor for being able to ensure Posten's universal services.
An agreement with La Poste of France and Posten AB will have access to Europes largest integrated package delivery network. Through the La Poste subsidiary, Chronopost, Posten AB also accesses to the airborn distribution network of FedEx of the United States.
- "During recent years, the Nordic countries have proven to be one of the most expansive regions in Europe. It is extremely important for us to have a strong partner, and by our know-how, be able to contribute to the companies in these countries gaining a high-quality logistics chain for package deliveries. I am sure that we can find additional opportunities to cooperate with Posten AB", declares Monsieur Martin Vial, Président Directeur General of La Poste of France.
DPD was founded in 1976, as the first privately owned package system in Germany. As of spring of 2001, La Poste holds 85 percent of DPD. DPD has its own organizations in 19 countries, in which 21,500 employees distribute approximately 320 million packages annually.
- The expected agreement with La Poste and the agreement with DSV of Denmark represents important steps in the development of Posten. We will now significantly increase the volume of our package operations creating an integrated network in the Nordic and Baltic countries in close co-operation with La Poste in Europe as well as globally. These agreements will benefit all of Posten's businesses, especially the universal service. Our objective is to quickly integrate the new operations, and increase volume, declares Lennart Grabe, President and Group CEO of Posten.
- Posten is very advanced with regard to the Internet and eBusiness. We also see co-operation with Posten as an important step in strengthening our position in the Nordic and Baltic area. In the same way, we hope to be able to make it easier for Posten to approach the continental European market," explains Paul-Marie Chavanne, Director of Parcels and Logistics activities of La Poste of France.
The companies that Posten is acquiring have a combined turnoverof about 1.1 billion SEK, and will increase Posten's package operations volume by 25 percent. The companies have a total of more than 1,000 employees, of which 800 work in Norwegian operations.
- By this transaction we will be able to offer exporting as well as importing entities a high quality service also outside the Nordic countries, explains Björn Sjöström, head of Posten E-commerce and Logistics.
- We see that package operations, with Posten as its principal owner, will assume a stronger position on the important Swedish market. The sales agreement also contains cooperative opportunities that will strengthen DSV's logistic investments," explains Kurt K. Larsen, COO of DSV A/S.
More information will be provided at a press conference at 10 a.m. on October 11, in the auditorium of the Centralposthuset, at Mästersamuelsgatan 70. Please register by contacting Markus Trautmann, telephone +46 (0)8-781 74 33 or by e-mail to press@posten.se. Lennart Grabe, President and CEO of Posten AB, Agne Pettersson, Excecutive Vice President and CFO, Claude Béglé Chairman of the DPD board and Arnold Schroven, General Manager DPD, will participate in the press conference.
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