Grocontinental, the Whitchurch-based haulage company has been purchased by AGRO Merchants Group. Grocontinental is known for being the largest employer in the local area and has been purchased by the Dutch company that specialises in cold storage and logistics solutions.

The announcement of this acquisition was made yesterday, however the third generation owners of Grocontinental, David Grocott and Linda Grocott will continue to be a part of the company, as joint Managing Directors of the business. It is also thought that the new ownership will not have any impact on any other staff working for the haulage company.

The haulage company being purchased by AGRO Merchants Group is thought to be the result of a process that has taken around three years, and the amount that the company has been bought for has not been disclosed. AGRO was founded in 2013 and Grocontinental was quickly identified by the Dutch cold storage and logistics company as a potential partner for their network in England. The culture and values that have been instilled into the company by the Grocott family over the years was as appealing to the Merchants Group as their market leading position, high-quality assets and deep commodity expertise.

Grocontinental is the third significant investment to be made by AGRO in the UK/Ireland following the 2014 purchase of Castlecool and the purchase of Sawyers Group in 2015. The acquisition is great for the British haulage company, as there is the opportunity to expand on the success that the company has achieved in recent years by helping the business into a new era. The decision to become a part of a larger company was not taken lightly by the owners, and they are looking forward to what is in store in the future while making the most of the expertise available from AGRO.