Ligentia completes deal to acquire VGL Solid Group to form a diverse, customer-focused and responsive global supply chain management business

Ligentia Group (Ligentia), a global tech-enabled supply chain manager, announced today that its acquisition of VGL Solid Group (VGL) is now complete. This further strengthens Ligentia’s position as a leading  provider of supply chain and logistics services, with revenues of over £1bn, accelerating its ambitions to leverage its technology and experience by growing into new, fast-growing territories and sectors. 

“This is an exciting day for both Ligentia and VGL Solid customers and colleagues, and a natural extension from our highly successful joint venture, which we have operated together for nearly 10 years”, said Ligentia CEO Nick Jones. “We would like to give a warm welcome to Marcin and Grzeg, the VGL co-founders, and their management shareholders, who all become shareholders in our new combined business.” 

Jones continued, “This is an important and significant step in a Growth Strategy that we set out with Equistone at the start of their investment in 2021. We are committed to continuing to invest in our technology platform, and an ambitious program of digitalisation and automation, but we also recognise the power of regional expertise and experience, and we believe that one of Ligentia’s key differentiators is its ability to combine technology and people in a way that gives customers quite a unique and tailored solution.”

This combination strengthens Ligentia’s presence on the Asia-Europe and Transpacific trade lanes, at a time when customers are facing increasing complexity in managing their international supply chains. Ligentia’s market-leading technology platform, Ligentix, provides its customers’ planners and logistics teams with full visibility through a SKU level control tower platform that connects factories, carriers, customs, warehouses and delivery to the end customer in a way that gives enhanced control over inventories anywhere in the world.

In 2021, Ligentia received significant investment from Equistone Partners Europe to deliver its ambitious growth plans. Commenting on the deal, Investment Director, Sebastien Leusch, and Director, Chris Candfield, said: “We are proud to support the Board in this acquisition which enables the business to expand into new geographies and sectors, continue to innovate its technology and strengthen its position in a dynamic market. The team have delivered exceptional growth over the last two years, including the launch of its US business, and we have been hugely impressed by the clear ambition to scale and build a diverse, customer-focused and responsive global supply chain management business.”

VGL founding members, Grzegorz Dobkowski and Marcin Gruchala will join the Ligentia Group Board, working alongside the existing Board members and Chairman Garry Watts. 

The deal is financed with the support of Ligentia’s existing funders, Partners Group and Santander.  Ligentia has been supported in this transaction by Rothschild, DC Advisory, Squire Patton Boggs, KPMG, Roland Berger and Addleshaw Goddard. VGL Solid Group has been supported by PwC, GKW, Skadden, Żelaznowski & Głowiński and KPMG.