With the sale of Polytra to the Swiss Fracht, Baron Maurice Velge will put an end to an era in the maritime and transport sector. The 82-year-old baron will now focus more on the chairs with his name on European values.
Following the acquisition of Polytra by Fracht, Flows had a conversation with the former owner, baron Maurice Velge, and his successor Rudolf Reisdorf, CEO and chairman-owner of Fracht.
“Since Fracht is also active in project cargo and forwarding, I knew the reputation of the company,” says Velge. “For personal reasons, I went looking for a buyer. Within the family there was no interest for Polytra. I had to find a solution for the future of the company. Of the candidates I knew, Fracht seemed to be the best solution, “he explains.
Complementary
“Both companies are extremely complementary. Polytra is active as an industrial forwarding agent for a number of large chemical companies such as BASF, Inovyn, INEOS, etc. It also has a solid project division with a strong network in Africa for the mining sector. In Katanga we have five offices with forty employees. We also have a setup in Tansania and Zambia. From Congo we transport to Durban or Dar-es-Salaam by rail or road. In Dar-es-Salaam we are one of the largest freight forwarders. All of this is very interesting for Fracht, which has almost 100 branches in four continents – including Australia, North and South America and the Far East – and is developing in Africa, “explains Velge.
Not only in terms of activities, both companies fit together well. “We met a few times and there was immediately a climate of mutual trust. Negotiations were very professional and very open and quickly led to an agreement. I am very happy. This is a good decision for our customers who are looking forward to doing business as before. I knew that Rudolf Reisdorf uses the same principles and values in his company. This is a perfect match. I have spent a lot of time and energy in this company and am happy that staff and customers are in good hands, “Velge emphasizes.
‘Match in heaven’
Rudolf Reisdorf speaks of a ‘match in heaven’ when he talks about the complementarity and the similarities between the two companies. “We share the same philosophy within a family environment. We know how to treat people and give them responsibility. I am delighted with the people and the management of Polytra. From day one it was a Fracht company. It is only regrettable that I did not get to know Maurice Velge before. Such a deal is only possible between family businesses, “Reisdorf emphasizes.
Antwerp
With the takeover of Polytra, he also has his own office in Antwerp. “Antwerp is our natural harbor. I have good memories of the city where I used to work for one year, some decades ago. Together with Polytra, which has a strong reputation in the field of difficult projects in Africa, we will continue our development there. There is no specific Fracht “hunter strategy”. We are simply looking for synergies that make the network stronger. We do everything with our own means, this gives us the chance to move quick and flexible, when an opportunity comes up” Reisdorf concludes, this in addition to organic growth.
Chair chairs baron Maurice Velge
For Baron Velge, the transfer of Polytra to Fracht means the end of its activities in the maritime and transport sector. “I’ll keep an eye on things for a while. I still feel young. Do not think that from now on I will only deal with bridge and golf. I am now going to spend a bit more time on the project that I launched in 2016 to boost European society and redefine European values. A chair was named after me both at the University of Antwerp (UA) and at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL). The idea is to turn the work of the academics into practice. Among others, Herman Van Rompuy supports this initiative. In addition, I remain a member of the Continental Lines board “, Velge outlines the interpretation of the post-Polytra era. Velge also owns two wine chateaux in France.
“The history of Polytra-Fracht looks successful”, closes Velge and thanks for the interview.