Freshport to change hands

Venture capital companies Vitus Capital and Purplefield Investments have announced that they have taken over the Freshport inspection facility from its founders and current shareholders, the Icelandic shipping company Eimskip and British airline handler Menzies Aviation.

Following the takeover, Annemiek Ploumen is to stay on as Freshport’s General Manager.

Freshport was founded in 2003 in response to the need among various parties at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to streamline inspection processes for products from outside the EU – especially veterinary products – entering the country via Schiphol. Freshport has been operating for several years as an independent and quality-oriented inspection facility.

Given that the inspection processes conducted at Freshport no longer qualify as core activities for Eimskip and Menzies Aviation, earlier this year the two companies decided to sell their shares in Freshport to a party that aspires to continue the facility’s operations independently while ensuring at least the same level of quality.

In this arrangement, Vitus Capital en Purplefield Investments are the investment partners. Their focus is on acquiring controlling interests in 'traditional' Netherlands-based businesses with an excellent track record in trade, industry or the services sector. The two companies are confident that Freshport offers opportunities for further growth and optimisation of business processes.