NG Bailey, the UK’s largest independent engineering and infrastructure services provider, has acquired Engineering Solutions Group (ESG), a specialist engineering group operating across the water, environmental and wider infrastructure sectors.
Undertaken as part of its growth strategy, NG Bailey’s move is intended to strengthen its existing expertise in infrastructure delivery, as well as give it greater access to the water infrastructure market. The current water industry investment cycle (AMP8) contains around double the investment of the previous cycle (at £104bn over five years), targeting ongoing infrastructure upgrades and investment in innovation, presenting significant growth opportunities for the Leeds-headquartered business.
ESG, which is headquartered in Sutton-In-Ashfield, has been operating since 1989. At its heart sits ECS Engineering Services (ECS), ESG’s largest and most established business, which has over 30 years’ experience in delivering high quality, reliable and cost effective engineering solutions, specialising in bespoke design and construction of water, energy and environmental processing and management projects.
ECS is supported by three complementary group companies – BC Civils, a medium-sized specialist civil engineering company, Catalyst Engineering, which specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of high-quality bespoke structural and architectural metalwork for the construction industry throughout the UK, and Water Utility Products, a specialist importer and distributer of high-quality product orientated solutions for the water treatment and water utility Industries.
Taken together, ESG has expertise covering mechanical and electrical engineering, specialist steel and composite fabrication, civil engineering, and the supply of advanced water control products via exclusive European partnerships. Its key customers include the Environment Agency, Severn Trent Water, Anglian Water, Welsh Water and Yorkshire Water.
As part of NG Bailey, the ESG existing management team will continue to run the £30m turnover business under the existing brands, with the existing highly skilled workforce. It will also benefit from joining NG Bailey’s Built Environment division, offering opportunities to engage with the Group’s existing portfolio of clients across engineering, facilities services and electric vehicle solutions.
Jonathan Stockton, chief executive of NG Bailey, said: “Bringing ESG into the NG Bailey family is a decision which makes both strategic and commercial sense as we continue to deliver our Journey to 2030 business plan.
“The acquisition provides a natural extension to our existing range of services and strengthens both our market positions, whilst opening up new growth opportunities for us in key areas including water infrastructure.
“The business has a strong track record of projects, such as the delivery of Colwick Sluice refurbishment for the EA, alongside specialist fabrication expertise including work in the nuclear sector, which further strengthens NG Bailey as the leading independent engineering and infrastructure services business in the UK.
“We are confident about future growth opportunities for the business as part of the wider NG Bailey Group.”
The addition of ESG’s team of around 180 people will take NG Bailey’s headcount to over 3,600 employees.
Mark Watkins, managing director of Engineering Solutions Group, said: “This transaction marks an exciting milestone for us, which over the last four decades has become a well-established, successful business with a strong market presence.
“Being part of NG Bailey allows us to combine our strengths and create something genuinely more powerful, for our people, partners and the markets we operate in.”
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