A Tyneside environmental services firm is set to expand its UK and global footprint after snapping up a rival business.
Gateshead-based Lucion Services, which is backed by Palatine Private Equity, has announced the acquisition of environmental consultancy Delta-Simons Environmental Consultants Ltd, based in Lincoln, in an undisclosed deal.
The deal creates a business with revenues of around £50m, offering a range of environmental regulatory services across the UK.
It also expands Lucion Services’ global presence through Delta-Simons’ existing footprint and its global Inogen Alliance network.
The combined firm, which has more than 500 staff, serves 1,500 clients across 20 sectors including utilities, real estate, nuclear, technology, marine, government, education, planning and development.
The group’s employees are prefominantly field-based technical specialists with skills in environmental consultancy services, including hazardous materials, ecology, air and water services, geo-environmental and sustainability.
Lucion Services underwent an MBO in 2019, backed by private equity investor Palatine Private Equity and led by CEO Philip Rozier.
Headquartered in Gateshead, it has regional offices across the UK, including Cardiff, Glasgow, Northern Ireland, North Wales, North and South Yorkshire, Cheshire, Leicestershire, Hertfordshire, Surrey and Midlands.
Delta-Simons has its head office in Lincoln and offices across the UK in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham and Dublin.
Mr Rozier said: “I am delighted to welcome the people of Delta-Simons into the Lucion Group. We have long admired the quality and service levels provided by D-S and together we can widen and improve our service offering and share best practices both internally and externally to our existing and potential client groups.
“Despite the challenges faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, both businesses have performed extremely well and shown their resilience in difficult times. This is a reflection not only of the quality of all our people but also the need for the continuing provision of first class technical and regulatory services no matter what economic climate prevails”.
“As a Northern-headquartered business with a UK wide network, we are committed about playing our part in supporting investments in the North including our recent £750,000 investment in a new laboratory facility and capabilities and our move to expanded office capacity to support our growing business.”
Alex Ferguson, managing director of Delta-Simons, who will join the executive board of the enlarged Lucion Group said: “Lucion is the perfect home for Delta-Simons at this stage in our evolution. We join a strong and established technical business with complementary clients and services and can benefit significantly from Lucion’s proprietary software and management systems.
“Together with Lucion, we will offer an unrivalled, market leading UK operation with a global reach through the Inogen Alliance, a global network of over 5,000 environmental specialists.”
Kieran Lawton, senior investment director at Palatine Private Equity, added: “We are delighted to have completed this strategically-important transaction and welcome Alex and his entire team to Lucion. With both Lucion and Delta-Simons working to make the world a cleaner and safer place it is clear both share our deep commitment to the ESG agenda.
“Palatine will continue to support Lucion’s growth and invest further as it looks to build on this latest acquisition.”
The transaction was supported by HSBC.
