M&A

Contractor Gilbert-Ash will be sold to an employee-ownership trust (EOT), the Belfast-headquartered contractor and fit-out specialist has announced. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed. The firm had a book value (net assets) of £26m as of 31 December 2023, the date covered in its latest published accounts.…

The planned acquisition of digital infrastructure firm Telent by M Group requires approval on competition and national security grounds, it has emerged. Both firms have shared clients – including Transport for London, National Highways and Network Rail – which means the acquisition is expected to need Competition and Markets Authority…

Building maintenance and retrofit firm Cardo Group has continued on the acquisition trail after buying the roofing business of Breyer Group. Cardo completed a deal on Friday (11 April) to acquire the entire roofing division of the Essex-based contractor, which fell into administration earlier this month. The financial details of…

Technology is changing. And so is Construction News. Our editorial team has been using artificial intelligence (AI) behind the scenes for some time now to summarise long reports and data as part of our research process, as well as produce some illustrations. But we have not used it to produce…

United Living has acquired power distribution and street lighting specialist Jones Lighting Ltd. Family-owned Jones is headquartered in Leyland, Lancashire. It provides services including installation and consultancy for local authorities and distribution network operators. United Living said this morning (20 March) that the acquisition will strengthen its power market activities.…

Concrete contractor LGW Group has acquired supplier Multi-Crete Concrete & Concrete Pumping. The deal, announced last week, sees the Bristol company take control of the Gloucestershire firm from former owners Simon Robinson and Jason Bowen. LGW works across the south of England and Wales. Its brands include Wright Minimix, Bristol…

Balfour Beatty has agreed to sell rail-infrastructure data-analysis business Omnicom to Hitachi Rail. The value of the sale, which will see more than 100 staff switch employers, is not being disclosed. A Balfour Beatty statement on Friday (17 January) said the acquisition would help the business expand beyond the UK…

Two acquisitions were announced yesterday (6 January) in the UK mechanical and electrical (M&E) sector. Irish firm Suir Engineering, which has offices in London and Western Europe, announced it had bought Scottish counterpart Taylor and Fraser. Meanwhile, building consultancy Contollo Group acquired engineering services company Engineering Services Partnership (ESP). Waterford-headquartered…

Briggs & Forrester has sold off its building maintenance arm to focus on “core contracting activities” in the UK. In a LinkedIn post, building facility management firm BGIS UK and Ireland announced it had bought Briggs & Forrester Building Services Maintenance. Briggs & Forrester Group chief executive Paul Barton said…

Construction giant Saint Gobain has acquired a UK-based chemicals firm. The French materials giant has acquired Kilwaughter – which manufactures facade mortars in the UK and Ireland – for an undisclosed amount. Kilwaughter generated revenue of about £50m in the year ending April 2024. It was acquired to “further strengthen”…