SSP increases footprint in North America and Middle East

SSP Group has announced two major new transactions. The travel specialist says that they will expand its presence in North America and the Middle East, in line with its strategic objective to pivot to these higher growth markets.

Firstly, it has acquired Calgary-based ECG Ventures Limited (ECG), which sees it take over the leases of three units at Calgary Airport and an additional two at Edmonton Airport. This is the second acquisition that SSP has completed in North America in the past 12 months, following the acquisition of the Midfield Concession business, with the final airport transferring in November.

SSP will also be further expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia, having signed a new contract with Jeddah Airport to operate three food and beverage packages, representing a total of 26 units, for an initial duration of between five and seven years. As part of its offer, it will be bringing franchise brands such as Jamie Oliver Kitchen, PizzaExpress and Crêpeaffaire to Jeddah.

Patrick Coveney, group chief executive officer of SSP, said: “Both the acquisition of ECG in Canada and the significant contract win at Jeddah are excellent examples of our business development strategy in action. We are clear that a combination of investing in organic growth and carrying out selective infill M&A will create sustainable long-term value and returns, and North America and the Middle East are important areas of focus for expansion.”

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