Glasgow consultancy extends UK reach with strategic acquisition deal

A Glasgow-headquartered consultancy has acquired an English business as it continues its push across the UK.

GEP’s Edinburgh team pictured with Mabbett MD Derek McNab (front left).

The deal by Mabbett & Associates, which specialises in planning, design, environment, engineering and safety, has seen it take a majority investment in Hampshire-based GEP Environmental, which also has offices in Edinburgh, Anglesey and Caerphilly.

It is the third major strategic investment completed by Mabbett since becoming part of Inverness-based investment company GEG Capital.

Mabbett and GEP have worked together on projects for the past decade and the two companies said the deal will significantly boost the technical resources and services of the combined group which will employ more than 100 people.

It will also add further locations to Mabbett’s existing footprint of sites in Belfast, Cardiff, Carlisle, Dundee, Forres, Inverness, Leicester, Liverpool and Rosyth.

Mabbett’s managing director, Derek McNab, said the deal “will bring huge benefits to the clients of both companies going forward”.

“There are great synergies between the companies in the energy engineering and environmental sectors but also some complementary skillsets and services that will introduce new ways of doing things for both companies. I think learning from each other will make us stronger as a unit,” he said.

GEP Environmental director Peter Schofield said the deal will enable the combined business to take advantage of new opportunities.

“There is so much appetite and opportunity in the marketplace right now for the services we both offer and, together, we will be able to better capitalise on them,” he said.

“GEP will now be able to offer the integrated end-to-end service - from strategy through to implementation - it is known for across a much broader spectrum of services, which will be a huge plus to our collective client base.”

The latest deal comes on the back of a year of double digit growth at Mabbett in which it added 25 staff positions across the UK. Earlier this year it acquired Highland planning and design consultancy GHJ as well as the assets of Nevis Environmental, an independent ecology, environmental management and planning services consultancy.

Last month GEG Capital also acquired a Highland construction firm in a move aimed at fuelling growth in sectors including social housing. WGC Scotland, which began as William Gray Construction in 2001 and has grown to become one of the largest in its field in the region, was acquired for an undisclosed sum.

All of the 60 workers are being retained, with WGC's commercial manager Rhona Donnelly taking up the role of managing director. WGC will continue as a standalone entity in the group and will target growth in social housing, industrial and commercial construction.

Donnelly is replacing managing director Dougal Murray who is retiring this year. She has over 30 years' experience in the sector and has driven growth in social housing construction at WGC which works with clients including Albyn Housing, Cairn Housing Association, Highland Council and Highland Housing Alliance.

She said joining GEG Capital was a "great opportunity for a Highland-based and focused construction company like WGC”.