The parties have agreed not to disclose the transaction value. ESTP currently employs 17 people, most of whom are service engineers. ESTP’s founder and Managing Director, Marcelo H. Massa, will continue with the business.
Jim Anastasio, President of Kalmar Americas Sales Region, comments on the acquisition:
“ESTP has been a strong partner of Kalmar in South America for a number of years. Our shared desire to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers combined with Argentina’s recent investments in its port and inland infrastructure, convinced Kalmar to buy a reliable sales and service organization to help expand its business.
“Due to the positive economic development in Argentina, we anticipate that the acquisition will advance Kalmar’s business in the region to include contract maintenance agreements, crane refurbishment projects and other tailored solutions.”
ESTP was established in 2001 in Buenos Aires. Shortly thereafter, it was appointed as Kalmar’s dealer in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. In addition to new equipment distribution, the company provides machine commissioning, technical and spare parts support, and equipment repairing and refurbishing in South America. The company also trains equipment operators and service personnel.
Kalmar enjoys healthy market shares in Argentina in key equipment categories like rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes, reachstackers and terminal tractors. The company has supported global terminal operators with facilities at the Port of Buenos Aires for many years, delivering the country’s first pair of Kalmar RTGs to Buenos Aires Container Terminal Service SA, a Hutchison Port Holdings company, in 1998.
In 2007, the Port of Buenos Aires handled approximately 1.75 million TEU, up 20 percent from the previous year.
