Supply chain consultancies EPG Consulting and Groenewout join forces

German supply chain and logistics consultancy EPG Consulting has acquired a majority stake in Groenewout, a similar-sized counterpart based in the Netherlands.

Headquartered just outside of Koblenz, EPG Consulting is the consulting subsidiary of Ehrhardt Partner Group (EPG), a globally-operating provider of supply chain and logistics solutions. EPG has more than 900 people and serves around 1,600 customers across the globe.

Breda based Groenewout has been in business for close to six decades. The award-winning Dutch consultancy firm designs and implements supply chain and logistics solutions for customers in the retail, e-commerce, transport and logistics sectors.

The joining of forces sees the two companies grow their combined team to 40 consultants in Germany and the Netherlands. “In terms of experience and track record, together we rank as one of the leading independent supply chain and logistics consultancies in the region,” said Marcel Wilhelms, Managing Director of EPG Consulting.

Wilhelms added that the two firms bring a “complementary portfolio of services” to the table, which will enable both consultancies to provide a more rounded offering to their clients.

“We are observing an increased demand for holistic planning and realisation, especially with regard to automation solutions in warehouses. In addition, it is becoming increasingly important to plan logistics real estate precisely according to customer needs and the logistics solution it entails. Groenewout has deep expertise in these fields, perfectly complementing our service offering.”

Meanwhile, for Groenewout, the firm will be able to tap into the portfolio of EPG Consulting and technology foundation of EPG to “provide an even better service offering to all our customers,” said Alain Beerens, Director of Groenewout.

Looking ahead, Wilhelms and Beerens – who both sit on the leadership team of the combined group – said the firms plan to team up on business development as well. “We see great potential to open up new advisory segments, for example in the area of transport management consulting,” said Wilhelms.

Groenewout will continue to operate in the market under its own brand, with the new tagline ‘Member of EPG’. Terms and conditions of the deal have not been disclosed.

In related deal news in Europe’s supply chain consulting scene, Kearney last year acquired German supply chain specialist Optano, while engineering giant Royal HaskoningDHV bolted-on Districon.