Kuehne + Nagel is to take over Dutch perishable goods shipper J. van de Put, the latest in a string of acquisitions by the Swiss firm this year.

The Amsterdam Schiphol Airport-based company, which ships mainly flowers, plant cuttings and vegetables across Europe, specialises in vacuum cooling, temperature controlled storage and customs clearing and employs 260 staff.

According to its website, the company processed 200 million kg of cargo in 2010 through 10,000sqm of warehouse space, including 2,700sqm of cold storage facilities and has interests in Colombia, Ecuador and Ethiopia.

The acquisition will be subject to Dutch and EU regulatory approval.

"This acquisition follows our global expansion strategy in the field of perishables logistics," said Karl Gernandt, chairman of Kuehne + Nagel International AG.

"It extends our global capabilities and complements theservice offering of our national organisation, ranked number 1 in the Dutch airfreight export market. Our customers will benefit from temperature controlled door-to-door logistics solutions for perishable goods that require highly specialised handling know-how."

The take over is only the latest of a string of acquisitions as the Swiss company seeks to gain a greater share of the global airfreight market.

In July it entered an agreement to take over the shares of Grupo Eichenberg, a domestic airfreight company based in Brazil. In May, the company acquired a 75% stake in New Zealand reefer operator Cooltainer.

At the beginning of the year Kuehne + Nagel took over two Colombian companies, Translago S.A.S. and Agencia de Aduanas Excelsia Ltd, as well as Mastertransport SA which is based in Ecuador. All three companies specialised in perishables goods shipping in South America.