French swoop for East Mids construction testing firm

ESG, the Burton and Daventry provider of testing, inspection and certification services in the construction and infrastructure sectors, has been sold to French company SOCOTEC.

The deal comes as SOCOTEC is speeding up its international expansion. ESG, which also has offices throughout the UK, was previous owned by 3i.

ESG’s 1,400 employees specialise in testing, inspection and compliance services, and generate almost €100 million in revenue in the infrastructure, built environment, and energy and waste sectors. The company, headed by Ian Sparks, operates 28 sites in the UK and Ireland, including 20 UKAS-accredited testing and measurement laboratories.

OCOTEC CEO Hervé Montjotin said: “ESG’s leadership and its extensive range of services, which will enhance our own scope of expertise, will give us another large base in Europe, second in size to the one we have in France. This acquisition, which will double our revenue outside France, is a perfect fit for our international expansion plans.”
ESG CEO Ian Sparks added: “It has been extremely important for us to find an owner that shares our drive for ambitious growth through a client-driven strategy. SOCOTEC, with its global footprint, has an expansive presence, offering inspection and measurement, assistance and consultancy, training and certification services, and works across a number of similar sectors to ESG. This is really good news for both ESG and our clients, as we will be able to provide a wider geographic offering, and also an even broader technical service provision.”