 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| ASX: BXB formerlyASX: BIL | |
| Industry | Commercial & Professional Services |
| Founded | 1875; 150 years ago (1875) |
| Headquarters | , Australia |
| Products | Pallets, reusable produce crates,containers |
| Revenue | US$5.7 billion (2023) |
| US$1.072 billion (2023) | |
| US$703.3 million (2023) | |
Number of employees | 12,000 (2023) |
| Website | www.brambles.com |
Brambles Limited is an Australian company that specialises in the pooling of unit-load equipment, pallets, crates and containers. It is listed on theAustralian Securities Exchange.
Brambles traces its history to 1875, when Walter Bramble established a butchery business inNewcastle, the operations of which he gradually expanded into transport and logistics. Brambles was listed on theAustralian Securities Exchange in 1954, as W E Bramble & Sons Limited and entered the pallet pooling business in 1958 through the purchase of theCommonwealth Handling Equipment Pool (CHEP), from theAustralian Government. This same year the company changed its name to Brambles Industries Limited and moved its head office from Newcastle toSydney.[1][2]
In 1970, Brambles entered the waste disposal market with the purchase of the Australian subsidiary of Purle Brothers Holdings.[3][4] In 1972, Brambles entered the armoured car market in partnership withBrink's.[5] In 1972, Brambles purchased thePort Jackson & Manly Steamship Company. Brambles main interest in the business, was a 50% shareholding in Tidewater Port Jackson Marine, which operated sixplatform supply vessels.[6] Following a threat by Brambles to withdraw the loss-makingManly ferry service, thePublic Transport Commission took over the service in December 1974.[7] In 1975, Brambles formed an 80:20 joint venture with UK companyGuest Keen & Nettlefold (GKN) to bring CHEP to the United Kingdom.[2][8]
In July 1984,Grace Removals was purchased.[9] In 1988, Brambles became the largest private rail wagon operator in Europe acquiring Groupe CAIB ofBrussels andProcor's United Kingdom business.[10][11][12] In December 1989 equipment hire business Wreckair was purchased.[13]
In 1990 Brambles acquired Econofrieght aThornaby based heavy haulage company which was one of the biggest heavy haulage company later the business was sold in two different parts light heavy transport to GE Curtis heavy haulage aCleveland based subsidiary owned bySarens in 1997 and rest of the business toALE in 1999 aHixon based heavy haulage company which was later acquired byMammoet in 2020.[14] In 1996, Brambles Transport Services was sold toToll Holdings.[15]
In June 2000, Brambles sold its Eurotainer container business toErmewa[16][17] and Brinks Brambles armoured car unit toChubb Security.[18][19]
In August 2001, the support services activities of GKN (which included interest in CHEP andCleanaway) were merged into a separate company, Brambles Industries plc (listed on theLondon Stock Exchange) which then entered became adual-listed company with Brambles Industries Limited.[2][20][21] In December 2001, the Wreckair equipment hire business was sold toCoates Hire.[22]
In March 2002, the United Transport and Brambles Project Services businesses were sold toPatrick Corporation.[23] In October 2002, the railway leasing business was sold to VTG-Lehnkering.[24][25] In November 2002 the Brambles Shipping business, including the shipsTasmanian Achiever andVictorian Reliance, was sold to Toll Holdings.[26][27]
In 2006, the company's Australian waste management business, Cleanaway Australia and its Brambles Industrial Services business were sold toKohlberg Kravis Roberts.[28][29] Cleanaway UK was sold toVeolia.[29][30] Following these divestments, Brambles unified its Australian and British-listed entities into a single entity, Brambles Limited, that was listed on theAustralian Securities Exchange in November 2006.[31][32][33] Brambles maintained a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange until March 2010.[34][35]
In 2008, Brambles acquired LeanLogistics.[36]
In April 2011 it acquired IFCO.[37] In December 2012 it acquired Pallecon.[38] In December 2013, the Recall storage business wasspun-off.[39] In February 2016 it acquired BXB Digital.[40]
