Petter A. Stordalen is expanding his travel empire with his acquisition of the Ving Group. All trips booked with Ving will therefore still be going ahead and 2,300 jobs have been saved.
Petter A. Stordalen’s Strawberry Group will, together with Altor and TDR Capital, be the new owners of Vinggruppen. The news was announced at 10am during a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden.
"Trips already booked for this Christmas or next summer will go ahead!"
”Today is a big day for a man who loves the travel industry. The Nordic business has created a portfolio of strong Nordic brands, and is today the crown jewel among Nordic tour operators. That is why I am incredibly proud that, together with two solid partners, we have reached a solution that allows us to secure the future of these companies. And not least, the 400,000 people who have already booked their Christmas holidays and their summer holidays through Ving, Spies, Tjäreborg and Globetrotter, that now will have their holidays secured. This agreement primarily means security for customers and staff. And with a strong and long-term Nordic ownership, the Ving Group now has the conditions needed to do what they are best at: creating unique experiences for their guests and giving their customers the best week of the year", says the new owner, Strawberry Group's Petter A. Stordalen.
2,300 jobs saved
The airline company Thomas Cook went bankrupt just over a month ago and it has been a turbulent time for everyone involved, in particular the 2,300 employees. They can now breathe a sigh of relief, however, as the acquisition means that their jobs have been saved.
”I am extremely pleased that Stordalen, Altor and TDR will be our new owners. The new owners long experience from the industry and their financial strength will give us the long-term stability that we need as well as new opportunities to develop our offering in the future. The deal also means that the jobs for the more than 2,300 people working within Ving Group, including our airline, are now secured. I would like to extend a big thank you to all our customers who have shown us tremendous support in recent weeks. Together with the new Nordic owners, we will continue to give our guests the best weeks of the year”, says Magnus Wikner, CEO, Ving Group.
Strawberry Group and Altor now own 40% each of the Ving Group. TDR Capital owns the remaining 20%.
