What opportunity does the FDL group ‘see’ in the Delatolas family

Her Matinas Harkoftaki

About a week ago Foodlink (FDL) and Delatolas sat at the same table to discuss the possibility of merging the two companies with the aim of creating the largest logistics group of Greek interests. Negotiations over an upcoming “wedding” are at a good stage as informed by capital.gr and it is not ruled out that in the next period there will be official announcements. So, if the two sides reach an agreement, the new scheme that will emerge is expected to bring new data to the domestic logistics and distribution sectors, two sectors that emerged and essentially starred during the coronavirus pandemic. After all, it was the outbreak of the global health crisis that demonstrated the need to achieve more synergies in an area characterized by high levels of fragmentation in the internal market. “The industry needs synergies between large companies in order to lead to a more organized environment”, sources close to Delatolas tell capital.gr and continue saying: “It is characteristic that even today in the field of transport and distribution, there is a “A large number of drivers who have a truck and operate individually, fighting for a living while at the same time taking on the risk of this option.”

The following plans

However, the new scenario as it has been formed lately requires more organization. In these new circumstances as well as in the face of the listed Foodlink, the family business saw the opportunity to take the next step. “The cooperation will help us strengthen the logistic part, in which we are less strong in terms of volumes as at our core we are a transport company”, the same sources explain. On the other hand, FDL, one of the largest companies in the domestic logistics industry, will further strengthen its position through this synergy. Delatolas, now run by the second generation, has almost 60 years of presence and has an expanded portfolio of activities, which includes 3PL services, couriers and distribution. In this direction it has developed collaborations with several companies and retail chains while it has a total of five storage and distribution centers, three of which are located in the area of ​​Aspropyrgos and the other two in Inofyta and Thessaloniki respectively.

Among her next plans is the relocation of the three storage spaces she maintains in Aspropyrgos to a single space, which has already been found and is located in the same area. The aim is to gather the three warehouses in a single central space, which will have a total area of ​​25,000 sq.m. while it will be ready to be put into operation at the beginning of 2023, after first implementing the necessary investments for the remodeling of the interior, which are expected to reach 800 thousand euros. Finally, the pandemic may have brought courier and distribution companies to the forefront of economic activity, but this did not necessarily translate into a significant increase in financial results as the many but small orders pushed down the profit margin.