World Freight Company International (WFCI), a freight services provider, has been acquired by Greenbriar Equity Group. WFCI’s existing minority investors including 3i; ActoMezz; IDI Group and IDI Mezzanine; Idinvest; and Ardian are exiting their investment.
World Freight Company International is a global leader in the general sales and service agent (GSSA) market. WFCI manages approximately €1 billion of freight annually with over 750 employees worldwide. The company operates through its subsidiaries including Air Logistics, Kales Group, ATC, Worldwide GSA, Hermes, and Platinum. WFCI is headquartered in Roissy, France and services the cargo freight capacity of more than 190 airline customers serving every major air cargo market globally.
Pierre Brunet, WFCI’s founder, CEO, and current majority shareholder will continue as a significant shareholder and as CEO of the company. The senior management teams of all of the operating subsidiaries of WFCI will also continue in their existing roles.
“WFCI is a trusted partner to its customers and plays a critical role in the global air freight economy. The company is led by a proven and experienced management team who helped establish the modern GSSA market and we see significant opportunities for further growth at WFCI, both with existing customers as well as with new customers and in new markets worldwide,” said Noah Roy, Managing Partner at Greenbriar.
“Greenbriar’s deep expertise and relationships in the logistics and aviation sectors make them a perfect fit for WFCI. They are committed to supporting WFCI as we continue our international growth strategy, both organically and through additional acquisitions,” said Pierre Brunet, CEO of WFCI.
Greenbriar Equity Group invests from $50 million to $150 million per transaction in the global transportation industry, including companies in aerospace & defense, automotive, freight & passenger transport, logistics & distribution, and related sectors. The firm manages $2.5 billion of committed capital and is based in Rye, NY (www.greenbriarequity.com).
© 2015 PEPD • Private Equity’s Leading News Magazine • 3-10-15