Dutch Firm Acquired by Atlanta Airport Services Company

Editor’s note: This article was first published in Global Atlanta, an online news publication devoted to revealing the city’s ties with the world and helping local companies navigate the global economy. It was written by Managing Editor Trevor Williams and is published here as part of a content partnership with Hype. Subscribe to Global Atlanta’s newsletters here and keep up with the latest here.

A growing Atlanta airport services firm that grew out of a Delta Air Lines Inc. joint venture has acquired a Dutch firm to deepen its access to the European market.

Unifi Aviation, which emerged in 2018 after purchasing 51 percent of its former partnership with Atlanta’s hometown airline, has grown to the largest ground handling services company in North America, with $1.8 billion in revenues, 45,000 employees and operations at 240 airports, including stations in Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Unifi is purchasing Viggo, a Dutch counterpart with passenger, baggage and ramp handling services at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and Eindhoven Airport, servicing more than 80,000 flights per year across both hubs.

Frank A. Argenbright Jr., founder and Executive Chairman of the Buckhead-based Argenbright Group, said the combination “ represents an important step in Unifi’s global growth strategy,” praising Viggo as an exemplary partner.

Executives from Viggo, which was founded in 1974, also expressed optimism about tying up with Unifi, which also operates the Prospect Airport Services and Up and Away Airport Detailing brands.

“By combining Viggo’s capabilities and strong presence in the Netherlands with Unifi’s global scale, we are well positioned to provide our airline partners with additional support and long-term reliability,” Martijn Limburg, CEO of Viggo, said in the release.

The deal is far from the first connecting Atlanta’s unrivaled aviation landscape with the Netherlands.

Dutch investors constitute some of the top business travel companies in the city, as well as offsite airport parking operators near Hartsfield-Jackson, the world’s busiest airport.

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Featured photo:

Officials from Unifi and Viggo come together to celebrate their combination.