Dutch shipowner Vroon is exiting the livestock shipping sector after agreeing to sell its Livestock Express business to Australian agribusiness and shipping group Heytesbury.
The deal includes all 11 livestock carriers owned by Livestock Express, the Singapore-based operations and technical management activities for third-party vessels. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The sale marks another step in Vroon’s ongoing reshaping strategy as the company sharpens its focus on offshore and specialised shipping markets, including high heat transportation for energy and liquids, emergency response and rescue, offshore infrastructure and offshore wind.
Livestock Express will continue to operate independently under the new ownership.
Vroon chief executive Martijn Schouten said the agreement closes a long chapter for the Dutch owner, which built Livestock Express into one of the world’s largest independent livestock shipping operators.
“Today marks a special moment, which sees the final chapter of Livestock Express within the Vroon group and the beginning of a new chapter under its future owner,” Schouten said.
“We are proud of everyone who has helped build Livestock Express over the past 60 years into the world’s largest independent livestock carrier, with a fleet of modern, purpose-built vessels.”
Livestock Express transports between 600,000 and 750,000 head of livestock annually and operates across key export markets including Australia, New Zealand, the US, Portugal and Ireland. The company renewed much of its fleet between 2013 and 2016.
For Heytesbury, the acquisition expands a business already closely tied to the livestock trade. The Australian group is a major cattle breeder and trader in northern Australia and has longstanding involvement in livestock shipping, including ownership of the Ocean Swagman, which has been operated by Livestock Express.
Heytesbury chief executive Paul Holmes à Court said maintaining continuity would be a priority following the takeover.
“It’s really important that Livestock Express remains operating independently and keeps servicing markets all around the globe under its own brand,” he said.
“We’re both part of a vital global protein trade, and tens of millions of people around the world rely on this fleet to help secure their food supply.”
Holmes à Court added that the combined business would strengthen its position in the global livestock transportation sector through its fleet, seafarers and existing customer relationships.
The divestment also strengthens Vroon’s balance sheet following several years of restructuring and portfolio changes. The Dutch owner has increasingly shifted towards specialised offshore and industrial shipping segments through its brands Iver Ships and Vroon Offshore Services.
Schouten said the company now had “a healthy balance sheet, a clear operational focus and strong positioning” in its selected niche markets.
