Dutch shipowner Vroon is exiting the livestock shipping sector after agreeing to sell its Livestock Express subsidiary to Australian agribusiness and maritime group Heytesbury.
The deal includes Livestock Express’s 11 owned livestock carriers, as well as third-party vessel operations and technical management activities based in Singapore. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The sale forms part of Vroon’s broader restructuring strategy, as the company focuses on offshore and specialized shipping markets, including high-temperature energy and liquid transport, emergency response, salvage, offshore infrastructure and offshore wind.
Livestock Express will continue to operate independently under its new ownership.
Vroon CEO Martijn Schouten said the transaction closes an important chapter for the Dutch owner, which built Livestock Express into one of the world’s largest independent livestock carriers.
Livestock Express transports between 600,000 and 750,000 head of livestock annually and serves export markets including Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Portugal and Ireland. Much of its fleet was renewed between 2013 and 2016.
For Heytesbury, the acquisition strengthens an activity closely linked to its livestock business in northern Australia. The group has long been involved in livestock shipping, including through ownership of the Ocean Swagman, operated by Livestock Express.
Heytesbury CEO Paul Holmes à Court said operational continuity would be a priority, adding that Livestock Express would continue to serve global markets under its own brand.
The sale also strengthens Vroon’s balance sheet after years of restructuring and portfolio realignment.
