SHV Holdings is one of the largest privately held companies in Europe, headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands, with a history that stretches back to 1896 when it was founded as the Steenkolen-Handels-Vereeniging, a coal trading cooperative. Over more than a century the company has repeatedly reinvented itself, moving from coal trading into energy distribution, and today operates through a portfolio of market-leading businesses including SHV Energy, Makro and Mammoet. SHV is owned by a foundation structure and has no external shareholders, which allows it to take a long-term view in building its diversified industrial and services group.
SHV Energy is the group's largest division and the world's leading distributor of LPG, serving more than 30 million customers across over 25 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas through brands including Primagaz, Butagaz, Gasan and Supergasbras. The division operates a vast logistics network of import terminals, storage caverns, rail and road fleets and cylinder-filling plants, and is transitioning toward renewable energy with investments in bio-LPG, solar and heat-pump solutions. Mammoet, acquired in 2004, is the global leader in heavy lifting and engineered transport, operating one of the world's largest fleets of cranes and specialized transport equipment for the energy, construction and maritime industries, while Makro runs a chain of warehouse club stores in Latin America and Asia.
For B2B suppliers, SHV represents diverse procurement opportunities across its portfolio. SHV Energy buys LPG cylinders, valves, regulators, tanks, dispensing equipment and fleet vehicles in very large volumes, and is actively sourcing renewable-energy hardware for its transition businesses. Mammoet procures heavy machinery components, engines, hydraulic systems and specialized steel fabrications, and is a major customer of crane manufacturers and steel fabricators worldwide. SHV's private ownership, investment-grade balance sheet and century-long track record make it a stable and reliable business partner, and its decentralized operating model means suppliers work directly with each division's procurement teams across multiple geographies.
