Imperial hints at acquisitions

Imperial Holdings intends to
grow the company’s logistics
business by acquisitions,
according to CEO Mark
Lamberti, with the bulk of
these being offshore.
This international
expansion of the company’s
logistics operations already
includes pharmaceutical
deliveries in Africa and
barging on the Rhine.
“The logistics business will
become an increasingly global
business,” he said. “This will
be a major growth vector and
that will be mainly off the
continent.”
Part of the reason for this
international interest, he
added, is simply that Imperial
has such an extensive share
of the SA market – it is SA’s
sixth-largest company - that
there is very little room for it
to grow. The company also has
its eyes on markets with less
volatile currencies than in this
country.
While no new overseas
acquisitions have yet been
announced, there are hints
that some may be forthcoming
in the Southern African
Development Community
(SADC) or in east or west
Africa in the next 12 months.