NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, a private infrastructure team within Morgan Stanley Investment Management, announced today that they have acquired StraitNZ Holdings Limited.
StraitNZ is a ferry and logistics operator that manages multiple daily freight and passenger services across the Cook Strait in New Zealand. StraitNZ is one of only two Cook Strait ferry operators, connecting New Zealand’s national highway system from the North Island, where approximately 77% of New Zealand’s population resides, to the South Island, where the remainder of the population lives. With more than 90% of New Zealand’s freight being distributed via road and imports becoming increasingly concentrated at North Island ports, these ferries represent essential transportation infrastructure for the New Zealand logistics supply chain, with strong barriers to entry provided via long-term port leases, dedicated berthing facilities and geographic constraints on the creation of additional port capacity.
“We are excited to acquire the leading independent freight transportation solution across the Cook Strait,” says Mark McLean, Managing Director and Head of Asia Pacific Investing for MSIP. “Structural shifts towards higher e-commerce activity, as well as strong secular trends within New Zealand, all support the increasingly critical nature of the asset.”
About Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners
Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners (“MSIP”) is a leading global private infrastructure investment platform with over $16 billion in assets under management1. Founded in 2006, MSIP has invested in a diverse portfolio of over 30 investments across transport, digital infrastructure, energy transition and utilities. MSIP targets assets that provide essential public goods and services with the potential for value creation through active asset management. For further information about Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, please visit www.morganstanley.com/im/infrastructurepartners.
