Norway Post has strengthened its position in the largest Nordic postal market with theacquisition of Swedish mail firm OptiMail for some 236 million Swedish crowns (25 million euros).
The deal secures its position as the leading competitor to Swedish national postal operatorPosten.The Norwegian post office said it had gained 92.3 per cent of the shares in OptiMail following apublic offer made through its subsidiary Norwegian Mail International in November. It now intendsto buy out the remaining shareholders.
Norway Post already held a 21 per cent stake in the company directly and through its existingsubsidiary CityMail Sweden. The takeover was supported by Optimail’s largest shareholders andmanagement.
“We want to offer our customers Nordic postal solutions,” said acting CEO Klaus-Anders Nysteen. “ The acquisition of OptiMail will strengthen and complete our strategy.” OptiMail and CityMail,which already cooperated for domestic and international mail, will now be merged into a singleorganisation.
CityMail, with postal operations in the three cities of Stockhom, Gothenburg and Malmo, hadturnover of 600 million Swedish crowns in 2004. OptiMail had turnover of 429 million crowns.
