Austrian Post announced today that it is in exclusive negotiations to buy German express firmtrans-o-flex, its European parcels cooperation partner. The stock exchange listed Austrian postal
operator said it was in talks with the company’s current owners, the private equity funds ofOdewald & Compagnie and the Alpha Group. No further information was released.In 2005, trans-o-flex generated revenues of some €460 million and carried about 49 millionshipments. It has a strong position in the German express sector, particularly in the life sciences/ healthcare markets. Austrian Post, with turnover of more than €1.7 billion in 2005, aims todevelop its B2B parcels services, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, in addition to itsestablished B2C retail delivery services.
Austrian Post and trans-o-flex agreed a wide-ranging cooperation deal at the end of 2005following earlier speculation that the postal operator wanted to buy the expanding Germanspecialist logistics company.
Under the cooperation agreement, Post Austria joined the trans-o-flex Eurodis network,providing parcel delivery services in Austria and various south-eastern European countries where ithas subsidiaries. In return, Trans-o-flex distributes the Austrian post office’s parcels inGermany. The Eurodis network covers about 20 European countries through a range of partnershipagreements.
