Timber and forest products liner operator Scotline has acquired timber forest products specialist port company Transit Medway from haulier R Swain & Sons Ltd for an undisclosed sum.
Scotline managing director Peter Millatt said the acquisition brought together two complementary businesses.
“Scotline and Transit have many receivers in common and the acquisition will allow us to offer them a wider range of liner services, stockholdings and added-value opportunities,” he said. “There will also be synergies across other products that both terminals handle.”
Transit operates the 14-acre Crown Wharf terminal on the River Medway at Rochester, less than half a mile from Scotline’s Medway Terminal. Both concentrate on forest products, notably Swedish softwood.
Scotline operates vessels on routes from Nordic countries to the UK and Ireland, accounting for 25% of the former’s Swedish timber imports. It has terminals in Inverness and Gunness too.
Mr Millatt said the acquisition “consolidates Scotline’s position on the Medway”, with its now two terminals comprising a total of 25 acres and 300,000ft² of warehousing.
All Transit’s 20 staff are being retained at its terminal, which will now operate as Scotline Terminal (Transit) Ltd. Managing director Mark Lay is staying on in a commercial role.
