It is evident, on closely examining both companies, how well Indaver and Katoen Natie complement each other. They both have Flemish roots and better still, both within the Antwerp port area. Both have built their success on a thorough knowledge of engineering and strive for continual improvement with a focus on the long term. Both Indaver and Katoen Natie are international players that offer total solutions tailored to their customers' needs.

So it came as no surprise on 6 March 2015 when DELTA and Katoen Natie put their signatures on the 74.99% sale of Indaver shares. Katoen Natie is paying 416 million euros for the takeover, as a result the total business value is estimated at 842 million euros. The sale still needs to get the green light from the competition authorities of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany as well as the shareholders and the central works council at DELTA. But if everything goes according to plan, Indaver will, for a large part, be in the hands of Katoen Natie by the summer.

This is also a grateful farewell to DELTA as the majority shareholder. Over the last seven years DELTA has helped Indaver to build up a strong position in Europe in global waste management for businesses and public authorities. DELTA was the right partner at the right time. But the waste market is constantly evolving. There is strong international competition. We want to continue to fulfil our leading role as service provider for the management and treatment of industrial and hazardous waste in Europe. For public authorities, we want to continue offering sustainable services in Belgium, the Netherlands and Ireland and we are considering extending them to other countries where we already have a foothold.

With Katoen Natie as our new majority shareholder, Indaver can stay on its course for international growth because Katoen Natie fully supports this strategy. Katoen Natie has over 11,000 employees worldwide and is active in 33 countries. The port and logistics company combines engineering, technology and port activities to offer tailored solutions to the worldwide chemical and automotive industry and the consumer products, electronics and retail sectors. We will therefore also seize the opportunity to identify useful synergies with Katoen Natie so that we can better serve our customers.

Indaver will continue its service provision to public authorities and industry without any interruption and with the high quality that they have come to expect from us. Indaver would like to use its expertise to develop new service provision models and thus continue to lead the field in sustainable waste management. The network and experience of an industrial and stable shareholder such as Katoen Natie will certainly support us in this.