UPS Agrees to Buy Irish Package Carrier as Part of European Expansion
UPS Inc. has agreed to purchase Nightline Logistics Group, a package delivery and logistics firm based in Ireland.
The move would immediately position UPS as one of the top local shippers in Ireland and continue its expansion in Europe, company officials said.
Terms of the sale were not disclosed, and the deal is still subject to customary closing conditions and must be approved by regulatory authorities as well.
“Nightline will complement our existing services, increasing delivery density while also adding innovative new service offerings,” Jim Barber, president of UPS International, said in a statement May 3. “We also look forward to bringing UPS’ extensive health care, high-tech and other specialized logistics expertise to the many Irish companies that specialize in these markets.”
Among Nightline’s service offerings is Parcel Motel, which provides a virtual address to accommodate online deliveries and is similar to UPS’ Access Point program.
The two brands will operate separately initially and integrated over time.
Nightline co-founder and CEO John Tuohy said the time was right for a sale to UPS after 25 years in business.
“Our customers across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain will benefit from an even wider reach, enjoying direct connectivity to global export markets, and it will be an important milestone in the company’s growth into the future,” Tuohy said.
Ireland is key trading nation with extensive ties to the United States and the United Kingdom, Germany, China and France, said Nando Cesarone, president of UPS in Europe.
“With the addition of Nightline, we continue on our growth path in Europe,” Cesarone said. “This is in addition to UPS’ commitment announced in 2014 to invest $2 billion in its European infrastructure by 2020.”
UPS ranks No. 1 on the Transport Topics’ Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in the United States and Canada.
