Heytesbury Acquires Major Live Export Ship Fleet

The Australian agribusiness Heytesbury, owned by the Holmes à Court family, has acquired Livestock Express from the Dutch shipping company Vroon. The transaction, announced May 12, 2026, involves the purchase of a fleet of 11 purpose-built live export vessels, marking a significant shift in the ownership of Australia’s live export supply chain.

The acquisition includes not only the livestock carriers but also the Singapore-based operations and technical management services for third-party vessels. While the specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, financing for the transaction was provided by Rabobank Australia and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Heytesbury CEO Paul Holmes à Court stated that the acquisition followed more than a year of negotiations. He described the deal as a rare opportunity to integrate a global leader in livestock shipping into the company’s existing operations.

The move expands Heytesbury’s presence in the shipping sector. The company has had a prior relationship with Livestock Express through its ownership of the MV Ocean Swagman, a vessel it purchased in 2019 that has been operated by Livestock Express for the past six years. According to Mr. Holmes à Court, this existing arrangement provided the company with firsthand insight into the Livestock Express business.

Heytesbury operates a diverse portfolio of businesses, including the Heytesbury Wine Group and the Vasse Felix estate in Margaret River. Its pastoral division, Heytesbury Pastoral, manages 165,000 head of cattle across 2.7 million hectares in northern Australia and the Northern Territory, including the Victoria River Downs station.

Livestock Express is recognized as a global leader in the transport of livestock, moving between 600,000 and 750,000 head of animals annually. The company operates across several key export markets, including the United States, Portugal, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. A significant portion of the fleet is involved in the live export trade between northern Australia and south-east Asia, particularly Indonesia.

Paul Holmes à Court emphasized the role of the fleet in the global food chain, stating:

We’re both part of a vital global protein trade, and tens of millions of people around the world rely on this fleet to help secure their food supply

Paul Holmes à Court, CEO of Heytesbury

Mr. Holmes à Court further noted that the combination of Heytesbury’s expertise and the purpose-built ships and professional seafarers of Livestock Express will cement its position as the global leader in this vital shipping sector.

For the seller, the deal is part of a broader strategic restructuring. Vroon is exiting the livestock shipping sector to sharpen its focus on offshore and specialized shipping markets. The Dutch firm’s core priorities now include offshore wind, offshore infrastructure, emergency response and rescue, and the transportation of liquids and high heat for energy.

Vroon Chief Executive Martijn Schouten described the sale as the conclusion of a 60-year history of building Livestock Express into one of the world’s largest independent livestock carriers. He noted that the agreement marks the final chapter of Livestock Express within the Vroon group and the beginning of a new chapter under its future owner.

Under the new ownership, Livestock Express will continue to operate independently. Exporters involved in the trade have indicated they expect business operations to continue as usual following the transition.