Global Ports Investments PLC (Global Ports or the Company, together with its subsidiaries and joint ventures, the Group; LSE ticker: GLPR) announced that the Group has completed the acquisition of 100% of the share capital of NCC Group Limited (together with its subsidiaries, NCC Group), in a transaction which was announced on 2 September 2013.
The acquisition of NCC Group, the second largest container terminals operator in Russia, strengthens Global Ports leading position in the growing Russian container market.
The enlarged Global Ports (Enlarged Group) will operate nine container terminals, with a total marine container handling capacity of approximately 4 million TEUs (as of 30 June 2013), located in both the Baltic Sea and Far East Basins which are key gateways for Russian container cargo.
The Enlarged Group is now the largest container terminal operator in Eastern Europe and one of the top-20 container operators globally.
Nikita Mishin, Chairman of Global Ports , commented: “ We are delighted to have completed such an important transaction, one that is an historic step for Global Ports, and which moves the Group into the big league of major global container terminal operators. Our combined group will hold an enviable position in the high-growth Russian container market and will have an unrivalled ability to provide the best quality of service to our customers. Over the next 12 months we will focus both on integrating NCC into our Group in order to realise the synergy potential of the Transaction as well as on the swift deleveraging of our balance sheet.”
Immediately following completion of the Transaction, Global Ports major shareholders are Transportation Investments Holding Limited (operating under the brand name of N-Trans), one of the largest private transportation and infrastructure groups in Russia (30.75%), and APM Terminals B.V., whose core expertise is the design, construction, management and operation of ports, terminals and inland services with a global terminal network of 64 operating port facilities and 165 Inland Services operations, giving APM Terminals a global presence in 68 countries (30.75%). 20.5% of Global Ports shares are in public hands and held in the form of global depositary receipts listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE ticker: GLPR).
Each of Ilibrinio Establishment Limited and Polozio Enterprises Limited (former owners of NCC Group) own 9% of the share capital of Global Ports.
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Press Release, December 30, 2013