CHEP pallets

Reusable pallet provider Chep’s parent company, Brambles Ltd, has announced the planned acquisition of sector rival Ifco Systems, which it said was expected to be completed with the next nine months.

Although the purchase still needs to be approved by US competition authorities, Brambles said the combined group would have more than 16,000 employees, working in 49 countries across six continents under the Chep, Ifco, Recall, LeanLogistics and Unitpool brands.

In a statement, Chep Americas group president Jim Ritchie said: “This transaction represents a tremendous opportunity for our customers that supports our growth plans in reusable plastic containers (RPCs) and pallets.

“Our customers can expect no service interruptions during the regulatory review period, and significant service enhancements in the medium to long-term, including product and service innovation and greater value delivery.”

Brambles chief executive Tom Gorman added: “Ifco is a natural fit with Brambles’ existing RPC and pallet businesses and will allow us to continue to deliver on our strategy of diversifying our revenue base by product platform, geography and customer type.”