The distribution arm of logistics giant John Menzies pulled off a hat-trick of takeover deals for Scottish couriers in the past year.
Menzies Distribution yesterday said it had bought Aberdeen-based Thistle Couriers for an undisclosed fee from husband and wife team Anabela and Ewan Ferguson.
The purchase of Thistle Couriers, which delivers 1,000 overnight parcels and makes 450 collections daily, adds 45 staff members and more than 25 vehicles to Menzies Distributions ranks.
Overall the division has a fleet of about 1,900 vehicles and a workforce numbering 3,500.
Ewan Ferguson said he would remain at Thistle Couriers in the role of commercial manager, and that his wife would be the logistics manager.
Aberdonian Mr Ferguson set up the company in 1998 which turned over £3.7million in its last financial year.
The couple said in a joint statement: “This was a great move for us, and for our people. We’ve been warmly welcomed into the Menzies family, and are excited to play our part in the future that Menzies Distribution is building within the Scottish parcel industry.”
The deal comes on the heels of Menzies Distribution’s acquisition of Oban Express in November, and its £7.5million purchase of AJG Parcels in Inverness in June.
The transactions by Menzies Distribution, whose core activities involve night-time newspaper and magazine deliveries, are aimed at keeping the division’s fleet ticking over with parcel deliveries during the day, with a focus on the harder-to-reach areas of Scotland.
Mark Cassie, managing director of Menzies Distribution, said: “The purchase of Thistle Couriers strengthens the infrastructure we’ve built with the acquisitions of AJG and Oban Express, and adds a time-critical, same-day service to our portfolio.
“With our existing geographical reach, especially in harder to access towns, we are able to deliver further and wider than many other players operating within this market – and I think this latest acquisition underlines our appeal to companies seeking cost-efficient deliveries to the north of Scotland.
“We believe that we can offer a compelling partnership proposition to the UK’s major parcel carriers.”
Mr Cassie took up his current role last month, replacing Forsyth Black.
Mr Black was appointed managing director of the Edinburgh-based group’s aviation division, which provides ground handling and cargo operations at airports in 31 countries.
Around the same time as that reshuffle, Jeremy Stafford resigned from the group chief executive post, citing “personal reasons”.
Mr Stafford’s resignation followed a tough time for the group.
Ahead of its annual general meeting in May, John Menzies was thought to have come under pressure from an activist shareholder that wanted to split up its aviation services and newspaper distribution businesses to maximise the their value.
The group made pre-tax profits of £25.7million in 2014, down from £42.1million a year earlier.
Menzies Distribution posted revenues of £630million in the first half of 2015, down £8million year on year.
Despite the dip, the group said the distribution division’s performance had “exceeded expectations” thanks to efforts to optimise the service, expanded daytime services and a slower than expected decline in newspaper and magazine volumes.