EUROPE
Geodis BM takes over the Iron and Steel Division of Giraud International

SNCF and the Geodis group are supporting Geodis BM’s growth policy by handing over one of the two activities recently acquired from Giraud International: the Iron and Steel Division, with turnover of 72 million euros. Geodis BM is also consolidating its European strategy by setting up an international haulage unit.  

There is no longer any doubt about it: Geodis BM's ambition to develop a European dimension is shared with the Geodis group. These international growth ambitions are boosted by support from SNCF. Taking advantage of its synergies with the parent company’s freight activities, Geodis BM is hence embarking on a new external growth process. The first indicator of this is the transfer to Geodis BM of one of the two activities that Geodis recently acquired from Giraud International. While Calberson Grand Est takes over the Central and Eastern Europe zone, the Iron and Steel Division, which is also European, is transferred to Geodis BM. "Healthy activity and valuable know-how," sums up Olivier Mélot, who has just taken over as Chairman and Managing Director following the retirement of André-Denis Piot.

European haulage
Operating from five sites in France and Luxembourg, the Iron and Steel Division generates turnover of 72 million euros, 70% of which is from haulage. Its 265 employees who handle these mainly European flows demonstrate a remarkable ability to manage pick-up operations, as well as the express delivery of steel coils, slabs and billets, which are transported using special equipment after transiting through a logistics center.

It is no surprise to find Arcelor-Mittal at the top of the customer portfolio, which also contains Ikea, proof that there is potential for diversifying.

 

"Thanks to its specialist knowledge of international haulage and closeness to its customers, the Iron and Steel Division has proved that it is well established on its main market and has highly flexible resources across the continent,” Olivier Mélot reckons. “That is why this acquisition is a big step forward in our European development policy."

At the same time, this policy is being played out through the creation of an international haulage unit managed by Raphaël Varlet at the head office in Méry, bringing together skills that had previously been widely scattered throughout Geodis BM. This unit, which is targeting the main European destinations, is starting off with a first contract for a beverage company trading on-line.

  

 

The international haulage unit of Geodis BM is targeting the main European destinations.

 

Olivier Mélot, Chairman and Managing Director Geodis BM : "This acquisition is a big step forward in our development policy."