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CBRE Caledon acquires Swedish bus operator

CBRE Caledon Capital Management Inc has acquired Karlssonbuss, a regional and school bus operator in southern Sweden. 

The vendors of the family-owned bus operator, the Karlsson family, will continue to have a small equity stake in the business. 
 
CBRE Caledon is making the investment on behalf of a fund sponsored by the firm as well as a separately managed account. It represents the second investment completed in the Nordics since 2019.
 
Karlssonbuss has been operating since 1949 in southern Sweden, with the majority of its customers being public transport authorities for regional routes and local authorities for school bus services.
 
Karlssonbuss is an established transport company with a strong performance track record and is a recognisable brand in Sweden. The company has demonstrated a history of successful growth by winning new Public Transport Authorities (PTA) contracts, diversifying its service and by acquiring transport companies.
 
The fleet of 171 buses currently uses biodiesel, a more environmentally friendly fuel with the intention to transition further to even lower carbon emission solutions in the future.
 
“We have acquired a non-cyclical transport business with low volume risk due to protection from availability contracts. With the ambition to transition to hybrid and hydrogen power, we will be managing a sustainable transport operation aligning with our net carbon zero target as a business.
 
We look forward to taking this successful operator and moving it onto the next level with our ability to invest and take advantage of future bus tenders and a fragmented industry structure,” says Andreas Köttering, Partner and Head of Infrastructure Europe at CBRE Caledon.
 
CEO of Karlssonbuss, Andreas Karlsson, says: “We are very excited to partner with CBRE Caledon. We sought a partner that could help us to continue to build KarlssonBuss into a leading bus operator in Sweden and develop our EV capabilities. CBRE Caledon is an ideal partner due to their experience in sustainable transport and their commitment to greening transportation infrastructure.”
 
Stephen Dowd, Chief Investment Officer, Private Infrastructure Strategies, CBRE Caledon, adds: “We expect the long-term nature of the PTA contracts will provide our investors with predictable cashflows and stable yields. With the potential for growth in an expanding market, this investment is an attractive addition to our clients’ portfolio.”
 
 

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