MSC reported to be in talks to acquire Wilson & Sons

According to Brazilian media reports MSC is talks to purchase the nearly 200-year old company, one of the country’s oldest, as the Swiss-headquartered shipping company continues to expand.

The potential transaction would represent an approximate value of $1.02bn.

Wilson Sons, a port and maritime logistics firm controlled by Ocean Wilsons Holdings Limited, which owns a 57% stake, which is under taking a strategic review of its investment in the Brazilian firm.

London-listed Ocean Wilsons said in a statement last week that "all potential strategic options" would be considered as part of the review but noted that the deal was at an early stage and there was still no certainty as to its outcome.

“The company has not received any formal proposals from any third party with regard to a potential transaction involving Wilson Sons,” it added.

Privately-held MSC has not commented on the reports

Should a deal successfully finalised, it would mark MSC’s second acquisition of a Brazilian company within a year. In 2022, the company acquired Log-in, further demonstrating its strategic expansion in the market.

Wilson & Sons has a fleet of 80 tugboats, 23 Brazilian-flag offshore support vessels, two offshore support bases, and two shipyards.