Constellation Cold Logistics (“Constellation” or the “Platform”), a leading platform in European cold storage and logistics, announced the acquisition of a majority equity interest in HSH Coldstores (“HSH” or the “Company”), partnering with the founder, Anthony Howard, to expand and strengthen the Company’s footprint and service offering for existing and new customers. Constellation is a portfolio company of Arcus Infrastructure Partners (“Arcus”), an independent fund manager with significant experience in European infrastructure investments.
The acquisition and new partnership in the UK market marks the fourth investment by Constellation and strengthens the platform’s position as a leading player in the European cold storage and logistics market. Including HSH, Constellation now provides over 325,000 pallet positions of temperature-controlled storage capacity across its modern network footprint in the UK, Belgium, Norway, and the Netherlands. In addition, the transaction bolsters Constellation’s offering of value added services, now including HSH’s refrigerated transport fleet in the UK.
Anthony Howard, who co-founded HSH in 2003 and continues as CEO, noted the strategic benefits for the Company of joining the Constellation platform: “We are very proud and excited to join Constellation and its existing, high-caliber partners in Europe. I have personally seen our company grow from a smaller single-site operation in 2003 to what it is today and would add that I am also extremely proud of our team here for reaching this milestone. Constellation’s deep appreciation for entrepreneurial spirit and the heritage of our business makes this a strong fit for HSH, and just as importantly, we are impressed and fully aligned with Constellation’s forward-thinking, quality focused strategy and ambitions for growth in the market. I look forward to accelerating our growth and leveraging off the Constellation network to develop new cold chain solutions for our customers.”
"We are very pleased that HSH has joined the team at Constellation, extending Constellation’s network of essential cold chain infrastructure into the UK,” commented Jordan Cott, Partner at Arcus. “We have tremendous respect for the HSH team and see a significant opportunity for the Company to consolidate its leading position in its core segments and areas of the UK market. The addition of HSH also presents opportunities for Constellation’s customers across Europe who require cold chain solutions in the UK. HSH is renowned for its strong customer focus and so perfectly complements our operations in Belgium, Norway, and the Netherlands. Anthony shares the same values as the leaders of Stockhabo, Glacio, and Lintelo, and we are excited to support him through the next chapter of HSH’s growth.”