Bakers SA Limited Chief Executive Officer, Abdool Tayob has confirmed the acquisition of Barloworld Transport subsidiaries which include Manline Energy, Manline Freight and Timber 24.
Bakers SA Limited also bought elements of Barloworld Transport Shared Services, the Barloworld Transport Academy and the workshops related to the aforementioned businesses.
SA Trucker reported the news of Bakers SA taking over Manline companies from Barloworld Logistics at the end of last year. This was after Barloworld CEO Dominic Siwela announced that they had found a buyer.
In an official confirmation of the deal, Tayob said the acquisition opens more opportunities for business growth in line with Bakers SA Limited’s strategic plans.
“This is an exciting evolution in the Bakers journey of growth in line with our purpose. We are confident that with divine intervention and the unparalleled support of our employees, customers and suppliers, this new venture will be a success,” Tayob said.
He adds that Bakers is looking forward to consolidating the additional businesses into the Bakers structure and continuing in its ‘journey of growth’.
“The acquisitions will provide Bakers increased scale, access to new markets and diversification which will enable the long-term sustainability of Bakers and enhance value creation for all its stakeholders providing a ‘better life for all,” says Tayob.
What will be interesting in terms of the way forward is that from its inception by Neil Henderson, Manline has traditionally operated MAN truck tractors. Bakers SA Limited, on the other hand, is a die-hard and exclusive Mercedes-Benz Actros fan.
In July last year, for example, the company took delivery of another 90 Actros 2645LS/33 Euro V models adding to the 650 Merc trucks already operated by the company. Tayob has often stated that “the Mercedes-Benz brand is a part of our DNA.”
It will be interesting to see how Tayob will handle fleet replacement in the new acquisitions when the time comes.
