International German engineering and services group Bilfinger has acquired independently owned property and infrastructure support services group Europa Support Services for an undisclosed sum.
The acquisition will allow Bilfinger, which already has a small presence in the United Kingdom facilities management market through its 2012 acquisition of Rollright Facilities, now known as Bilfinger HSG Facility Management, to deliver a pan-European and global facilities management service solution.
Europa, which was set up in 1971 and is now the United Kingdom’s largest independent TFM provider, employs 3,300 people and self-delivers integrated building and total facilities management services to clients across the United Kingdom and The Republic of Ireland. These include intu (formerly Capital Shopping Centres), Land Securities, United Utilities, Lloyds Banking Group, Civil Aviation Authority, Prupim, insurer RSA, Electricity North West, Centrica, Department of Finance, Crown Prosecution Service, Surrey County Council and Brent Council.
Bilfinger is a leading international engineering and services group employing 70,000 employees in multiple countries across all continents. It provides customised services for industrial facilities, power plants, real estate and infrastructure. In Germany, Bilfinger is the largest facilities management provider, whilst in Europe, it is the third largest. The acquisition of Europa will place Bilfinger as one of the top 25 facility management businesses in the United Kingdom with a turnover of c£182m and c3,600 employees.
Europa will be rebranded Bilfinger Europa Facility Management with immediate effect. Europa’s senior management team, led by chief executive Greig Brown (pictured above left) who has been with the business since 2008, will continue to lead the business.
“Europa has a strong geographical spread across the United Kingdom, excellent market penetration in key areas, a sound reputation for customer service and aspirations to grow as a business and diversify into new markets and specialisms. For those reasons, and the strong cultural fit between the two organisations, Europa is the perfect match for Bilfinger,” said Dr. Eckhart Morré, Managing Director of Bilfinger HSG Facility Management GmbH, pictured above right. “Bilfinger is looking to further establish itself in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland markets, which we see as critical to pan-European and global success and key markets in which we need to participate.”
Greig Brown, Chief Executive Officer at Europa Support Services, added: “The acquisition is a natural step in the Europa journey, building on our growth as a private company to now being part of a larger international group with a more diverse range of service offerings. As part of Bilfinger, Europa will benefit from the impressive combination of both organisations’ strong service cultures, product strength and scaled ability to support growth within our chosen markets. The additional expertise and experience from within Bilfinger presents great opportunities for both our clients and employees.”