Sogestran acquires the inland liquid bulk transport subsidiary of Reederei Jaegers
December 19th, 2024
Yesterday, the German company Reederei Jaegers and the French group Sogestran finalized a transaction project: the Sogestran Group will acquire Reederei Jaegers GmbH, specialized in inland waterway liquid bulk transport, in the first quarter of 2025.
This transaction will make Sogestran Group the European leader among inland shipping operators for liquid bulk cargo, with a significant presence on major European waterways, over 200 units (self-propelled barge, push boats, and barges), and more than 500 crew members.
Through this acquisition, Sogestran Group enhances its ability to offer European-scale inland transport solutions to international clients. It will also strengthen its position to advocate for inland transport priorities at the European level with administrations and authorities.
For Pascal Girardet, CEO of Sogestran:
“We are very proud to acquire Reederei Jaegers GmbH. This transaction is the result of a long-standing relationship with Gunther Jaegers, built on mutual respect and esteem, and grounded in our many years of collaboration through the CFT Gaz and Asphatrans joint ventures.
The ambition I have for Sogestran is to build a European group serving a more sustainable economy. This acquisition is therefore strategic for us. It will allow us to expand our inland waterway transport offering on a European scale to better serve our customers.
The acquisition is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2025. Reederei Jaegers GmbH will then be integrated into the Sogestran Group. We will operate as one entity, sharing the same values: trust, agility, pride, and commitment.”
For Dr. Gunther Jaegers, Managing Partner Reederei Jaegers Group:
“After careful review and consideration, the owner families Jaegers and Valentin have decided to sell the company to the French Sogestran Group in order to fully focus on their gas activities with the Dutch Chemgas Shipping B.V.
We are convinced that the French family business has the best prerequisites to carry on our vision and values that we have built up and to lead the company into a successful future."
Complementary markets to become the leader in inland waterway transport of hazardous liquid bulk in Europe.
The Sogestran Group is the leader in inland waterway freight transport in France, operating on the Seine, Rhône, and Loire rivers through its various subsidiaries, including CFT - Compagnie Fluviale de Transport. Specialized in hazardous goods, containers, heavy loads, dry bulk, and non-ADN liquid bulk, the Group is preparing for future markets (liquid CO2, bio and e-fuels such as hydrogen, methanol & ammonia, new chemical products, and Class 7 materials).
The Sogestran Group has been expanding at the European level in recent years, responding to the trend of deindustrialization in France. In 2023, 20% of the inland transport division’s revenue was generated in Europe through its subsidiaries Camaro (containers on the Rhine), CFT Danube (fuel transport between Austria and Serbia), CFT Luxembourg (biofuels in Belgium), and its joint ventures Asphatrans (bitumen transport on the Rhine, a 50/50 partnership with Reederei Jaegers) and LNG Shipping (transport of conventional fuels and LNG in the ZARA region, a 50/50 partnership with Victrol).
Reederei Jaegers GmbH, for its part, is a major player in European inland shipping, specializing in the transport of mineral oils, bitumen, and chemical products on the Rhine and its connected canals.
A geographical complementarity and aligned positioning
Both groups are recognized for their expertise and have a solid reputation. Each has its own fleet, complemented by access to chartered services.
Their complementary geographical positions and shared vision of operational excellence, quality, and CSR allow them to serve highly demanding industrial clients who are leaders in refining, bio-refining, chemicals, petrochemicals, or pharmaceuticals, with logistics flows across various European rivers.
An acquisition process between two family-owned groups that have been long-time partners
The two companies have been long-time partners through the joint ventures CFT Gaz (gas transport on the Rhône) and Asphatrans (bitumen transport on the Rhine).
Under the leadership of the majority shareholder Gunther Jaegers, the Jaegers and Valentin families, historical shareholders of the Reederei Jaegers Group, decided to sell their inland liquid division, Reederei Jaegers GmbH, while retaining the Chemgaz division.
Thanks to the long-standing and trusted relationship between Gunther Jaegers and Pascal Girardet, a direct negotiation began in mid-2022 to explore the opportunity of acquiring the Reederei Jaegers GmbH division.
The other division of the Reederei Jaegers Group, Chemgas, focused on inland and maritime transport of liquefied gases, is not part of the acquisition.
> Donwload the presse release in pdf