DHL adds Colombian logistics capacity through Open Market deal

DHL Supply Chain is expanding its Colombian platform through an agreement to acquire logistics and transport operator Open Market. The transaction adds physical infrastructure and specialist operating expertise in a market where pharmaceutical, healthcare and other complex supply chains require tightly controlled execution.

A larger, more specialised network

Open Market’s assets include 21 warehouses with a combined area of 120,000m², 13 cross-docking platforms and an owned transport fleet. Its operations also cover packaging and temperature-controlled logistics, giving DHL additional capability for products that depend on controlled handling and storage conditions.

For industrial and healthcare companies, the combination can create a broader logistics platform inside Colombia. Warehousing, cross-docking and transport capacity will sit within one enlarged network, while Open Market’s experience in life sciences, healthcare, consumer goods, engineering and manufacturing supports a wider mix of supply-chain requirements.

The deal also strengthens the infrastructure behind DHL’s health-logistics activities. DHL has recently added capacity at its Constellation Distribution Center in Cota, close to Bogotá, and is continuing to build a regional network aimed at specialised supply chains.

Scale, integration and operational continuity

Approximately 4,100 Open Market employees are expected to join DHL Supply Chain. Their market knowledge, customer relationships and operational experience will be important as the two organisations are integrated. The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions.

Open Market chairman Anibal Wadih said the sale supports a strategy centred on concentrating the company’s investment and capabilities in Brazil. He also identified continuity and service quality during the transition as priorities. Open Market is associated with AGV, while the enlarged operation will become part of DHL Supply Chain’s Colombian network.

DHL says the acquisition forms part of its Strategy 2030 and will reinforce its presence in Latin America. It follows the group’s purchase of Aero Cargas in Uruguay, indicating a regional approach based on combining local operating knowledge with larger networks, specialist facilities and integrated transport resources.