In a major strategic move, Rotom Europe has acquired goplasticpallets.com (GPP) and its sister company, All Pallets, cementing their place in the UK load carrier sector. This acquisition supports Rotom’s vision to expand its footprint in the UK while amplifying its activities across Europe.
Eastbourne-based GPP and Newhaven’s All Pallets have a legacy of over 30 years, serving top brands across various sectors, including retail, manufacturing, automotive, and more. GPP, co-founded by Jim Hardisty and Chris Adam in 1993, has been particularly proactive in promoting responsible supply chains. They’ve pioneered a recycling initiative, recycling over 1250 tonnes of plastic and ensuring that 93% of their plastic pallets are made from entirely recycled materials.
All Pallets, known for its expertise in new and used wooden pallets, boasts a robust commercial and repackaging enterprise. With its established in-house transport system, the company guarantees prompt delivery and collection of pallets.
Rotom Europe, headquartered in the Netherlands, is a leading sustainable circular load carrier solutions provider across 11 European nations. The company recorded a turnover exceeding €220 million in 2022 and currently employs over 500 people. Rotom’s unique selling proposition involves managing a customer’s material handling logistics end-to-end, supported by a vast network of European sites.
Commenting on the acquisition, Jim Hardisty, Managing Director of GPP and All Pallets, shared his optimism about the merger, noting the alignment in corporate cultures and ambitions between the companies. He stated, “This partnership with Rotom Europe signifies a thrilling new era. We aim to harness Rotom’s comprehensive product and service portfolio, enhancing our capabilities in the UK and Europe.”
Arjan Kuiper, CEO of Rotom Europe, echoed these sentiments. “goplasticpallets.com and All Pallets’ extensive product and service portfolios, plus their best practice business models, ensures Rotom will benefit from a market-leading presence in the UK, while greatly strengthening our market approach in neighbouring EU countries,” he said. “Furthermore, their commitment to greening the supply chain and promoting a circular economy fits perfectly with our own sustainable agenda.”
As part of this acquisition, both Hardisty and Adam will continue in their current roles, ensuring the preservation of the companies’ core values and vision. The merger promises not only an expansion in services and solutions but also bodes well for employee growth and development.
Maxi Palettes Acquisition
In July, Rotom also announced the acquisition of Maxi Palettes. The move was aimed at broadening the scope of the company’s activities and services in the North of France and the South of Belgium.
Headquartered in Hallennes-lez-Haubourdin, Maxi Palettes reconditions and trades refurbished pallets with a volume of 2.5 million pallets per year. The three Maxi Palettes sites located in the North complete the existing regional network of Rotom. Maxi Palettes has its own company dedicated to the transport of its products (Agitrans), which enables it to ensure the delivery and collection of pallets from customers or suppliers within very short deadlines.
“We manage the entire logistics loop for wooden pallets in the North of France and South of Belgium, from customer delivery to collection at the place of receipt,” said Jean Lehoucq, CEO and founder of Maxi Palettes. “We have grown very rapidly in recent years and the business is ready for the next phase of growth. We are very excited to have found a strong fit with Rotom in terms of culture and ambition and want to enrich our services customers with the Rotom Group’s portfolio of products and services.”
For the CEO of Rotom France, Maxime Bortolotti, “Maxi Palettes’ activities in the re-use pallet and associated services are perfectly in line with Rotom’s spirit of sustainable development. We are now in a position to considerably expand our offer products and services, such as wooden, metal and plastic load carriers; standard and custom-made, new and reconditioned; as well as additional packaging pooling and recovery services for our customers”. The operations of both companies will be gradually integrated into Rotom France with Lehoucq remaining on board to foster a smooth integration with the Rotom group and support the future development of the business.