The ULD vendor market just got a bit smaller with the recent acquisition of Nordisk Aviation Products a.s. (Nordisk), a world leader in developing, supplying and servicing containers and pallets for air cargo, by Teleflex Incorporated.
A subsidiary of Norsk Hydro, with headquarters in Norway, Nordisk has annual revenues of over US$55 million and provides air cargo equipment to more than 150 airlines worldwide.
“Air cargo is key to the global economy and an important element of the Teleflex Aerospace portfolio,” said John B. Suddarth, president of Teleflex Aerospace.
“This transaction reflects our commitment to serving the airline industry with durable air cargo products that use state-of- the-art materials. We are also committed to leading the air cargo industry in after market services,” Suddarth said.
The move reflects an ongoing consolidation in the ULD sector which has reduced the number of global suppliers to less than half a dozen.
This is a direct result of carriers playing off one ULD supplier against another in an endless bid to get the cheapest price, according to Bob Rogers, Asia president for Nordisk Aviation Products.
The end-result of this according to Rogers, is that the business has become too unprofitable for a number of ULD players who have either chosen, or been forced to exit the industry.
This is unhealthy for the air industry of which ULDs are a critical cornerstone, he says, adding that airlines have only themselves to blame.
But having said that, Rogers feels the purchase of Nordisk by Teleflex, which itself had a limited ULD offering as part of its aviation division, is a good fit that will give Nordisk greater global access, an expanded product offering and access to ultra-lightweight technology.
“This transaction combines the air cargo container products of both Teleflex and Nordisk. These combined businesses will operate as Nordisk Aviation Products, a Teleflex Aerospace company, with Nordisk and Telair ULD product lines,” Suddarth said.
Tomas Vigeland, the current president of Nordisk, will become managing director of the new business unit. This transaction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter, subject to customary closing conditions.