Royal HaskoningDHV buys supply chain consulting firm Districon
Districon, a Dutch supply chain consulting firm with around 80 employees, has joined Royal HaskoningDHV, one of the country’s largest engineering consultancies.
Commenting on the deal, Erik Oostwegel, the CEO of Royal HaskoningDHV said: “We are very excited to welcome the Districon team. Together we can be even more effective in helping clients worldwide to design, organise and manage their entire chain in a sustainable, flexible and efficient way – using the latest digital technology.”
Founded in 1976, Districon bills itself as the largest consulting firm in the Netherlands dedicated to supply chain and logistics. The firm helps its clients with an end-to-end supply chain offering, from strategic advisory (investment strategy, value chain strategy) to project delivery and the implementation of IT solutions.
Clients Districon works for include major brands such as Action, ANWB, Blokker, Bol.com, DHL, Heineken, KLM, PostNL and several government institutions. The Dutch firm also has two foreign operations (in the US and Singapore) which serve as its hub for engagements in North America and Asia.
“Our strength lies in optimising (parts of) the flow of goods from producer to consumer, or back from consumer to sales organisation or manufacturer. We are active worldwide in distribution centres, from warehouses to cargo hubs at airports and in seaports and distribution networks,” explained Districon Managing Director Erwin Faber.
By now joining Royal HaskoningDHV, Districon will according to Faber be able to leverage the group’s scale and financial muscle to “accelerate our growth and make a leap in scale.”
With over 6,000 employees in 25 countries, Royal HaskoningDHV is active in several verticals within the professional services industry: engineering, design, consultancy, and technology. Using its network, Districon aims to provide its services to more clients in the Netherlands and internationally.
In addition, the joining of forces will enable the supply chain consultancy to broaden its offering. Royal HaskoningDHV in particular brings in expertise in technical and financial feasibility and design of production plants and distribution centres, including digital solutions.
Synergies are also expected in the air cargo segment – Districon has in the past worked together on several projects with NACO, the aviation consulting subsidiary of Royal HaskoningDHV. This includes running joint projects in India, Japan and Singapore.
Districon will continue to operate under its own brand and become part of the Industry & Buildings business line.
For Royal HaskoningDHV the deal is the first this year. Last year the group acquired a water technology specialist in Singapore, and in 2020 it bolstered its consulting capabilities with the bolt-on of Novius.