TVS Supply Chain Solutions Valuation Multiples

Founded in 1911 by Joseph Eaton, the eponymous company began by selling truck axles in New Jersey. Eaton has since become an industrial powerhouse largely through acquisitions in various end markets. Eaton’s portfolio can broadly be divided into two parts: its electrical and industrial businesses. Its electrical portfolio (representing around 70% of company revenue) sells components within data centers, utilities, and commercial and residential buildings, while its industrial business (30% of revenue) sells components within commercial and passenger vehicles and aircraft. Eaton receives favorable tax treatment as a domiciliary of Ireland, but it generates over half of its revenue within the US.

McKesson is one of three leading pharmaceutical wholesalers in the US engaged in sourcing and distributing branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospitals networks, and healthcare providers. Along with Cencora and Cardinal Health, the three account for over 90% of the US pharmaceutical wholesale industry. Outside the US market, McKesson engages in pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution in Canada. Additionally, the company supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities and provides a variety of technology solutions for pharmacies.

Parker Hannifin started out in 1917 as Parker Appliance, selling pneumatic brakes. Through the acquisition of branded components, the firm has expanded into aerospace engines, agricultural and construction machinery, freight and passenger vehicles, and industrial automation equipment. Within these larger systems, Parker sells a wide array of small, critical pieces such as hydraulic, electromechanical, climate control, and filtration components. Many of its products are designed to work together, resulting in a high rate of cross-selling.

Mitsubishi Corp. is Japan’s largest general trading house, or sogo shosha, a type of conglomerate unique to Japan. Its core role is that of a trading intermediary in a variety of industrial sectors, including resources businesses like energy and metals as well as non-resources businesses, both industrial ones like automotive and non-industrial ones like food, healthcare, and retail. In addition to acting as a trading intermediary (including midstream processing functions to convert inputs into final products), Mitsubishi also participates in upstream production businesses and downstream distribution businesses.

As the world's largest parcel delivery company, UPS manages a massive fleet of more than 500 planes and 100,000 vehicles, along with many hundreds of sorting facilities, to deliver an average of about 22 million packages per day to residences and businesses across the globe. UPS' domestic US package operations generate around 65% of total revenue, while international package makes up 20%. Air and ocean freight forwarding and contract logistics make up the remainder.

Founded in 1912, Illinois Tool Works has become a diversified industrial manufacturer through acquisitions and innovations that follow customer needs. ITW operates through seven business segments, with no segment representing more than one-fifth of revenue. ITW’s automotive OEM segment sells vehicle components; its food equipment segment sells commercial kitchen appliances; its test and measurement and electronics segment sells inspection and analysis equipment; its welding segment sells welding equipment and consumables; its polymers and fluids segment sells industrial and consumer adhesives, solvents, and coatings; its construction products segment sells building fasteners and tools; and its specialty products segment sells medical, packaging, HVAC, and airport ground equipment.

Canadian National's railway spans Canada from coast to coast and extends through Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico. In 2024, CN generated CAD 17 billion in revenue by hauling intermodal containers (22% of consolidated revenue), petroleum and chemicals (20%), grain and fertilizers (20%), forest products (11%), metals and minerals (12%), automotive shipments (5%), and coal (5%). Other items constitute the remaining revenue.

Deutsche Post is a company whose business is German postal and parcel-delivery group operating within DHL Group. The organisation is based in Bonn and operates with sector-specific employees, commercial relationships and delivery infrastructure. It serves households, companies, online retailers and public-sector mail users. Its products and services are used in Germany and international logistics markets through postal, parcel and freight networks. The company earns revenue through services, reflecting the way customers purchase its offering. Management coordinates product development, sales, operations and customer support for the relevant market. The business is an operating company rather than an investment vehicle, even where a financial sponsor owns shares. This profile describes the transaction-period entity and avoids conflating it with similarly named companies, subsidiaries or current parent groups. The description supplies the operating context required to interpret its role as a target, platform or acquirer in the documented transactions.

FedEx pioneered overnight delivery in 1973 and remains the world's largest express package provider. In fiscal 2025, the firm's Federal Express segment—which houses the core package delivery operations—made up 86% of total revenue, with 10% coming from FedEx Freight, its asset-based less-than-truckload shipping segment. The remainder came from other services, including FedEx Office, which provides document production/shipping, and FedEx Logistics, which provides global forwarding. FedEx acquired Dutch parcel delivery firm TNT Express in 2016, boosting its presence across Europe. TNT was previously the fourth-largest global parcel delivery provider.

Founded in 1927, W.W. Grainger originally distributed various motors via a mail-order catalogue. Over the course of the 20th century, the firm expanded into new industrial product categories and launched its first digital catalogue in 1995. Today, the company organizes itself into two segments focused on different customer bases. Its larger segment, high-touch solutions, offers a vast array of maintenance, repair, and operations, or MRO, supplies and bespoke inventory management services to larger businesses. Its smaller segment, endless assortment, operates two online platforms, Zoro and MonotaRO, that offer comprehensive catalogues of MRO supplies to smaller businesses. Grainger has operations throughout the world but primarily generates sales within the US.

Cencora is one of three leading domestic pharmaceutical wholesalers. It sources and distributes branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospital networks, and healthcare providers. It and McKesson and Cardinal Health hold over 90% share of the US pharmaceutical wholesale industry. Cencora also provides commercialization services for manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, global specialty drug logistics (World Courier), and animal health product distribution (MWI Animal Health). Cencora expanded its international presence in 2021 by purchasing Alliance Healthcare, one of the leading drug wholesalers in Europe.

Fastenal began as an industrial retailer, expanding its product portfolio from nuts and bolts to cutting tools, safety equipment, and janitorial supplies. It transitioned into a distributor by building out a dense network of branches close to its business customers. Once a customer becomes large enough, Fastenal installs vending machines and its own personnel on-site. Today, these on-site locations exceed Fastenal’s branch count and remain the firm’s main focus for expansion. Fastenal acts as a one-stop outsourcing partner for its industrial customers, offering value-added services along with a wide breadth of maintenance, repair, and operations supplies.

Cardinal Health is one of three leading pharmaceutical wholesalers in the US, engaged in sourcing and distributing of branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospital networks, and healthcare providers. Cardinal, Cencora, and McKesson hold well over 90% of the US pharmaceutical wholesale industry. Cardinal Health also supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Rheinmetall is an international defense group supplying military vehicles, weapons and ammunition, air-defense systems, digital military solutions and naval platforms. Following the classification of power systems as discontinued operations in December 2025, all continuing-operation sales are generated by defense activities. The group reports through five segments: vehicle systems; weapons and ammunition; air defense; digital systems; and naval systems. The portfolio spans combat, support and logistics vehicles; weapons, ammunition and propellants; ground-based air and drone defense; military communications, soldier systems, aviation and simulation; and military surface vessels, maintenance and autonomous maritime systems.

Sumitomo Corp. is a general trading house, or sogo shosha, a type of conglomerate unique to Japan. Its core role is that of a trading intermediary in a variety of industrial sectors, including resource businesses such as energy and metals as well as nonresource businesses, both industrial ones like machinery and nonindustrial ones like food, media, and retail. In addition to acting as a trading intermediary (including midstream processing functions to convert inputs into final products), Sumitomo also participates in upstream production businesses and downstream distribution businesses.

DSV is a Danish-listed transport and logistics company, offering transport services worldwide by road, air, and sea, with the bulk of its activities coming from airfreight and sea freight forwarding businesses. Since its founding in 1976, the company has experienced rapid growth, primarily through strategic acquisitions. Its most recent acquisition, DB Schenker, occurred in the second quarter of 2025, making DSV the largest sea freight forwarder.

Denmark-listed A.P. Moller-Maersk operates trade, shipping, logistics, and terminal assets globally. The oceans segment, the largest contributor to group revenue and earnings, has the second-largest oceangoing shipping capacity globally. Maersk has acquired several logistics firms in the past couple of years and plans to make the segment the company's growth engine. Over the past few years, Maersk has divested noncore operations, including its long-standing stakes in Danske Bank and Dansk Supermarked, as well as its oil and gas operations and ocean towing.

Ferguson distributes plumbing and HVAC products to North American repair, maintenance, and improvement, new construction, and civil infrastructure markets. It serves over 1 million customers and sources products from 37,000 suppliers. Ferguson engages customers through approximately 1,700 North American branches, over the phone, online, and in residential showrooms. The firm sold its UK business in 2021 and is now solely focused on the North American market.

Poste Italiane is the Italian postal and financial services group, headquartered in Rome and listed on Borsa Italiana, where it is part of the FTSE MIB index. It runs mail, parcel and contract logistics, the BancoPosta financial services division, Poste Vita and Poste Assicura in insurance, PostePay in payments and mobile telephony, and asset management through BancoPosta Fondi. Cassa Depositi e Prestiti holds 35 percent of the capital and the Ministry of Economy and Finance 29.26 percent. The group has about 120,000 employees and a network of roughly 12,700 post offices, and reported revenue of EUR 13.1 billion and net income of EUR 2.2 billion for 2025. It has acquired companies and stakes in payments, logistics, insurance, data and asset management, including LIS, Plurima, Sourcesense and Net Insurance, and in 2026 it took control of the telecoms operator TIM through a public tender and exchange offer.

Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd is a port infrastructure company domiciled in India. The company owns, operates, develops, and maintains port terminals and port infrastructure in India, including operating and developing infrastructure at the Special Economic Zone in Mundra. Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone also owns and operates a private railway to transport container cargo, and provides storage, handling, and other logistics services. It has one business segment, namely developing, operating, and maintaining the ports services, ports-related Infrastructure development activities, and development of infrastructure at the contiguous Special Economic Zone at Mundra. The company generates the vast majority of its revenue domestically.

Sysco is the largest foodservice distributor in the US, with an 18% share of the $377 billion vertical. The firm sells and distributes over 500,000 food and nonfood products to about 730,000 customer locations, primarily serving restaurants, which represented 60% of fiscal 2025 sales. The balance of sales stems from healthcare facilities (8%), education and government clients (8%), travel and leisure customers (7%), and other smaller end markets (17%), like cafeterias. By segment, Sysco earns the bulk of its revenue from its US foodservice operations (70%), followed by its international footprint (18%), SYGMA, which focuses on quick-service logistics (10%), and other (2%). The pending Jetro Restaurant Depot deal stands to add $16 billion in sales upon close, expected in fiscal 2027.

Old Dominion Freight Line is the second-largest less-than-truckload carrier in the United States (following FedEx Freight), with roughly 260 service centers and 11,000-plus tractors. It is one of the most disciplined and efficient providers in the trucking industry, and its profitability and capital returns are well above those of its peers. Strategic initiatives focus on increasing network density through market-share gains and on maintaining industry-leading service (including ultralow cargo claims) through steadfast infrastructure investment.

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd is a holding company. The company's segment includes Automotive; Farm Equipment and Services. It generates maximum revenue from the Automotive segment. The Automotive segment comprises the sale of automobiles, spares, mobility solutions, construction equipment, and related services. Geographically, it derives a majority of its revenue from India.

Heico is an aerospace and defense supplier that focuses on creating replacement parts for commercial aircraft and components for defense products. In commercial aerospace, Heico is the largest independent producer of replacement aircraft parts. In the defense market, the company produces niche subcomponents used in targeting technology as well as simulation equipment, among other categories. It operates two segments: the flight support group and the electronic technologies group. Both supply the aerospace and defense sectors to different degrees. Heico is persistently acquisitive, focusing on companies in similar or adjacent markets that offer strong cash flow and profitable growth potential.

COSCO SHIPPING Holdings Co Ltd is an investment holding company. The company's operating segments include the Container shipping business, Terminal business, and Corporate and other operations. It generates maximum revenue from the Container shipping business segment. Its geographical segments include America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Mainland China, and Other international markets.

Kuehne+Nagel is a global transportation and logistics company founded in Switzerland in 1890. Kuehne+Nagel is the second-largest sea freight forwarder globally and will hold a top-three spot in air freight. Sea freight has traditionally accounted for the largest part of the business, contributing 40% of the group's revenue in 2024. The company aims to become a more balanced, fully integrated freight forwarder, continually improving its end-to-end offering to clients.

Bridgestone Corp is engaged in developing, manufacturing, and marketing tires and diversified products. The company manufactures tires and tubes for passenger cars, trucks and buses, construction and mining vehicles, industrial machinery, agricultural machinery, aircraft, motorcycles and scooters, and others. Its tire operations include retread base tire business, automotive maintenance and repairs, retail business, and raw material supplies, as well as tire development, manufacturing, and marketing. The company also provides diversified products that include industrial products, chemical products, automotive components, construction materials, electronic equipment, bicycles, and sporting goods.

Denso was founded on Dec. 16, 1949, as Nippondenso, and is now a leading global manufacturer of automotive components, ranging from thermal and powertrain control systems to electronic and electrification solutions, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, and a core member of the Toyota Group.

Weichai Power is a Chinese industrial group with businesses spanning powertrains, commercial vehicles, agricultural equipment and intelligent logistics. Established in 2002, the company originated from the Weifang diesel engine business. Its powertrain operations supply engines and related components, including transmissions and axles, for vehicles and industrial applications. Other group businesses manufacture commercial vehicles and agricultural machinery. Through holdings including KION and Dematic, the group also participates in forklift trucks, warehouse automation and supply chain technology. Customers include vehicle and equipment manufacturers, industrial operators and logistics businesses in China and international markets. Revenue comes from manufactured products and associated aftermarket services. The group's activities therefore extend beyond automobile manufacturing to a wider range of industrial equipment and components sold under several established brands.

International Container Terminal Services Inc is a container-handling and terminal company. The company operates, manages, develops, and acquires container terminals to handle import and export cargo shipped in containers. Besides, the firm provides storage, container stripping and stuffing, and maintenance services. The company organises itself into three geographical segments: Asia; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; and Americas. The company derives the majority portion of revenue from the Asia segment, followed by the Americas and EMEA.

Based in the US, Expeditors International of Washington is a non-asset-based third-party logistics provider, mainly focused on international freight forwarding. Its offers freight consolidation and forwarding, customs brokerage, warehousing and distribution, purchase order management, vendor consolidation, and numerous other value-added logistics services. It employs sophisticated IT systems and contracts with airlines and ocean carriers to move customers' freight across the globe. The firm operates more than 200 full-service office locations worldwide, in addition to numerous satellite locations. Expeditors derives around 35% of consolidated gross revenue from airfreight, 30% from ocean freight, and 36% from customs brokerage and other services.

German-listed Hapag-Lloyd AG operates global trade, shipping, inland services, and terminal assets globally. Hapag-Lloyd liner shipping, the largest contributor to group revenue and earnings, has the fifth-largest shipping capacity globally. Hapag also provides a range of services, including e-business solutions, inland services, and terminal operations.

SF Holding was the largest logistics integrated service provider in China and Asia, and the fourth largest globally in 2025 by revenue, according to Frost & Sullivan. It is the only large integrated logistics service provider in Asia that has direct control of its operations with minimal reliance on network partners. It is also independent of any e-commerce platforms. The company is equipped with full-product service capabilities in time-definite express delivery, economic express delivery, freight, cold chain and pharmaceutical, intracity on-demand delivery, international express delivery, international freight and forwarding, and supply chain.

Michelin manufactures tires for passenger vehicles. The company also makes tires for all types of commercial vehicles as well as bicycle, motorcycle, earthmover, aviation, and agricultural tires. Its operations are organized into three operating segments namely Automotive and two-wheel; Road transportation; and Specialty businesses. The company generates maximum revenue from Automotive segments. The Specialty businesses include the Mining, Beyond-road, Two-wheel and Aircraft tire activities, as well as the High-Tech Materials activities. The Services & Solutions businesses are included for the majority part in the "Road transportation and related distribution" segment.

Hyundai Mobis Co Ltd is an automotive parts manufacturer. The company operates two reportable segments: the Auto Parts segment, which supplies modules and parts required for the complete vehicle manufacturing process, and the After-Sales Services segment, which provides auto parts for After-Sales service needs along with accessories and related products. It generates the majority of its revenue from the Auto parts segment.

US Foods is a United States foodservice distributor that supplies fresh, frozen and dry foods together with non-food products used by commercial kitchens. Its customers include independent restaurants, restaurant chains, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, educational institutions and government organisations. The business purchases products from suppliers and distributes them through a national network of warehouses and delivery operations. It offers national brands as well as its own private-label products and earns revenue from wholesale product sales. The group combines broadline distribution with specialist food businesses acquired in regional markets. Formerly called U.S. Foodservice, it adopted the US Foods name in 2011. Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and KKR acquired the business from Ahold in 2007. A proposed sale to Sysco was terminated in 2015, and the company subsequently returned to public ownership through an initial public offering in 2016.

Following the spinoff of its contract logistics division (GXO) in 2021 and freight brokerage operations (RXO) in 2022, XPO is moving closer to becoming a pure-play asset-based less-than-truckload carrier. We estimate LTL shipping makes up 60% of total revenue, with XPO's European truckload and LTL operations making up 40%. However, XPO's LTL segment EBITDA mix is much higher than 60%. We believe XPO intends to divest its European trucking division once it finds the right buyer.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services ranks among the top surface transportation companies in North America by revenue. Its primary operating segments are intermodal delivery, which uses the Class I rail carriers for the underlying line-haul movement of its owned containers (48% of sales), dedicated trucking services that provide customer-specific fleet needs (27%), for-hire truckload (6%), heavy goods final-mile delivery (7%), and asset-light truck brokerage (12%).

Brambles is the world’s largest supplier of reusable wooden pallets for the fast-moving consumer goods, fresh produce, beverage, retail, and general manufacturing industries. Brambles' services primarily operate under the Chep brand. The operation spans approximately 60 countries with three geographical segments: Chep Americas, Chep Europe, Middle East, and Asia, and Chep Asia-Pacific.

Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co Ltd manufactures and sells glass to be fitted in automobiles. The company is principally engaged in providing total solutions of safety glass and automotive accessories for various transportation vehicles, including the design, manufacture, and sale of automotive grade float glass, automotive glass, locomotive glass, luggage racks, vehicle window trims, and provision of relevant services. The company's product portfolio consists of automobile glasses, such as coating glasses and others, which are applied in passenger cars, buses, limousines and others, and float glasses. The company distributes its products within domestic markets and overseas markets. Geographically, it derives a majority of its revenue from PRC.

TVS Motor Co Ltd is an Indian automobile manufacturing company focused on the production of two-wheeled vehicles. The company principally manufactures motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, three-wheelers, and related spare parts and accessories. The company's reportable segments are Automotive vehicles and parts, Automotive Components, Financial Services, and Others. The company generates a majority of its revenue from the Automotive vehicles and parts segment. Geographically, the company derives its key revenue from India and the rest from other countries through exports.

Bunge Global SA is an agribusiness solutions company, connecting farmers to consumers and delivering essential food, feed and fuel to the globe. The company segments include Soybean Processing and Refining; Softseed Processing and Refining; Other Oilseeds Processing and Refining; Grain Merchandising and Milling; and Corporate and Other. It generates maximum revenue from the Soybean Processing and Refining segment, which includes integrated business principally involved in the purchase, storage, transportation, processing, distribution, refining, marketing, and sale of soybeans and soybean related products, as well as biodiesel and fertilizer production and distribution. Geographically, the company operates in United States, Switzerland, Netherlands, and Rest of the World.

Shanghai International Port (Group) Co Ltd is the world's largest container port in terms of throughput volume, and a major trans-shipment hub in China. It engages in handling port containers and bulk cargo along with other container-related services in the Yangtze River Delta. The gross profit in core port operation is approximately 72% in containers, 2% in bulk cargo, and 26% in port logistics and services. The Shanghai state-owned Asset Supervision and Administration Commission holds approximately a 44% stake in SIPG.

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha is a Japan-based shipping and transportation company. The company operates through seven segments. The Automotive Business covers ocean-going cargo shipping and automobile logistics. Dry Bulk Cargo Business focuses on bulk cargo transport and ship chartering. Energy Business handles shipping and chartering related to energy transport. Liner & Logistics Business includes Air Transport, Liner Shipping with agency, container terminal, port, and tugboat operations, and Logistics covering warehousing, freight forwarding, and coastal freight. Other Business involves real estate leasing and sales, passenger ship services, machinery and equipment wholesale, transportation support, information processing, and petroleum product sales.

Traton SE is the parent and holding company of the TRATON GROUP and one of the world’s commercial vehicle manufacturers. With its brands Scania, MAN, International, and Volkswagen Truck and Bus. The Group’s product portfolio comprises trucks, buses, and light-duty commercial vehicles. Transforming Transportation Together. For a sustainable world, this intention underlines the Company’s ambition to have a lasting and sustainable impact on the commercial vehicle business and on the Group’s commercial growth.

Knorr-Bremse AG is engaged in the development, production, marketing, and servicing of Automotive parts. It operates its business activities in two divisions: Rail Vehicle Systems and Commercial Vehicle Systems. Its product portfolio comprises Braking, entrance, and HVAC systems; power electric and control technology; digital solutions; couplers; signal systems; pneumatic braking systems; energy supply and distribution systems; wiper and wash systems; and others. Majority of revenue is from Rail Vehicle System. Its geographical segments are Europe/Africa, North America, South America, and Asia-Pacific.

Evergreen Marine Corp (Taiwan) Ltd is mainly engaged in domestic and international marine transportation, shipping agency services, commercial port area ship repair services, and the distribution of containers. Along with its subsidiaries, it operates in the following reportable segments: Transportation Department, which derives maximum revenue, and Other Departments. Geographically, the group generates maximum revenue from Asia (excluding Taiwan), followed by Taiwan, America, Europe, and other regions.

Magna International prides itself on an entrepreneurial culture and a corporate constitution that outlines the distribution of profits to various stakeholders. This automotive supplier's product groups include exteriors, interiors, seating, roof systems, body and chassis, powertrain, vision and electronic systems, closure systems, electric vehicle systems, tooling and engineering, and contract vehicle assembly. In 2024, 48% of Magna's USD 42.8 billion of revenue came from North America, while Europe accounted for approximately 37% and Asia the remainder. The firm's top six customers constituted 72.9% of revenue, with the top three being GM, Mercedes, and Ford. GM was the largest contributor at 15.4%. Magna was founded in 1957, has over 170,000 employees, and is based in Aurora, Ontario.