Engineering, environment and design consultancy Sweco UK has increased its range of multidisciplinary services and grown its geographic footprint, with the acquisition of MLM Group. 

The deal creates a combined business with an annual turnover of £108m and 1,340 employees, across a network of 26 offices in the UK and Ireland. The acquisition complements Sweco’s skills in transportation, environment, energy and building design, by incorporating MLM Group’s specialist expertise in structural engineering and compliance. 

Established in 1966, MLM Group is one of the largest, privately-owned engineering, environmental and building control consultancies in the UK. Its 13 offices are predominantly located in London, Southern England and Ireland. MLM Group employs 460 people, has an annual revenue of approximately £40m and approximately £4m profit. 

The move follows a successful four years for Sweco since it entered the UK market with the acquisition of Grontmij in 2015. Since then, the business, which is part of Europe’s largest engineering and architectural consultancy, employing 15,500 people across Europe, has achieved year-on-year growth and consulted on a wide range of landmark projects. These include Scotland’s Queensferry Crossing and the new Bloomberg European Headquarters in London, the world’s most sustainable office building.

Max Joy, president of Sweco UK, said: “This acquisition marks the start of an exciting new chapter in our UK growth story. The combination of Sweco and MLM Group’s expertise in transport, buildings and environmental engineering will enhance our value proposition to customers while opening up new opportunities in key markets. 

“We believe the combination of Sweco’s established expertise in building design, with MLM’s specialist structural engineering capabilities and world-class compliance offer is a compelling proposition for new and existing customers. MLM’s presence in the south east of England and Dublin, is an excellent fit with our existing office network, providing an enlarged geographic footprint which brings us closer to our clients.”

Steve Oliver, chairman at MLM Group, said: “We’re proud of the achievements our business has made in its long history and this deal accelerates our long-term growth ambitions by becoming part of a leading, global consultancy whose values mirror our own. 

“We will leverage the significant expertise we have across the business to continue to drive sustainable growth for Sweco in the UK, while creating new opportunities for the development of our committed workforce.”

Sweco was advised by a team from the Leeds office of global law firm Squire Patton Boggs and the Leeds office of EY provided financial and tax due diligence. The deal value is undisclosed.