Frans Maas Groep NV (Acquired by DSV DFDS 2006, rebranded DSV A/S)

Note: This company is no longer trading as a separate enterprise.

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Frans Maas Groep was acquired by DSV DFDS in 2006 who then changed its name and logo to the listed DSV A/S.

Koninklijke Frans Maas Groep NV ('Frans Maas') was a Dutch-based freight forwarding and logistics provider. It grew rapidly in recent years and operated a European network with operations in more than 34 countries, at 212 locations with 7,800 employees. In 2004 it had a net turnover of €1,091m and an operating profit (EBIT) of €11m.

The company had its origins in the Netherlands as an international transporter of fresh produce to Germany. It developed in the post-war period into a forwarder of general cargo, gradually extending its services throughout Europe. It was listed on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange in 1987. In the mid-1990s the decision was made to divest itself of its transport assets and focus solely on freight management and logistics solutions on a European basis.

As well as freight forwarding activities it managed several European Distribution Centres for global multi-nationals. It had a partnership with FedEx, which allowed it to offer door-to-door services between Europe and the US.

The company's strategy was to become a leading niche player in key market sectors such as automotive, high tech and chemicals. As well as focusing on the traffic volumes of blue chip multinationals, the company recognized the importance of small and medium sized enterprises, and built a network, which dealt with smaller number of shipments from a larger number of shippers.