Belgian postal operator, bpostgroup has completed the full acquisition of Active Ants, a subsidiary active in automated e-fulfilment for online stores.
In a statement, the companies said the deal was completed on August 21, taking bpostgroup’s ownership of Active Ants’ stock from 75% to 100%.
The companies, which previously signed a strategic partnership in 2018, support e-commerce activities by providing end-to-end solutions to online stores.
Since its establishment in the Netherlands in 2010, Active Ants has experienced strong growth and now has five sites across the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and the UK. In April, the e-fulfilment centre in Willebroek, Belgium, was enlarged in response to the rising demand for logistics support from online stores. Its business focuses on making online order processing more efficient by marketing warehousing, order picking and packing solutions, and pairing employees and robots on the work floor.
Active Ants directors Jeroen Dekker and Jean Lahaye are leaving the company but will continue to work to ensure a smooth transition. Bram Blondé has also taken up his role as CEO of Active Ants, the company said.
(from left to right): Dirk van Roy (COO), Jean Lahaye, Jeroen Dekker and Bram Blondé (CEO)
In a joint statement, Dekker and Lahaye: said “This innovative concept has become a real success story and, thanks to the partnership with bpostgroup, now markets unique services in multiple countries. Today marks the start of a new chapter. We have been working closely with the new CEO, Bram Blondé, for several months and we are have no doubt that Active Ants will continue to grow under his leadership.”
Philippe Dartienne, interim CEO bpostgroup added: “This is a new phase for the company, perfectly aligned with our strategy. In 2018 we acquired a majority holding in Active Ants because we believed in its potential. We now see that the services marketed by Active Ants, Radial and Landmark Global are entirely complementary and create added value for our customers. We market virtually a complete range of products and services and always with a particular focus on sustainability.”
