Canadian group IBI buys Taylor Young

NORTH West architects practice Taylor Young has been bought by Canadia group IBI.

The firm, which is designing the 5,000 capacity stadium for FC United has its head office in Handforth near Manchester and baes in Leeds Liverpool and London.

Taylor Young was incorporated as a company in 1989 and prior to the sale of the business was mostly owned by three shareholders managing director Stephen Gleave, Rod King, and David Gardner with Paul Rushton and Alan Simpson having minority stakes. The firm employs 100 people across its four offices.

Stephen Gleave said: “This is a strategic move for Taylor Young, including its owners, lead managers and professional staff in becoming a member firm within the IBI Group of firms.

“It increases our capacity in professional resources to serve our many clients with the largest of projects and with broader skills that complement our existing breadth.

“It opens opportunities for our talented staff to participate in projects around the globe through IBI’s established global strategy of work sharing and deployment through the intelligent systems of the firm. In short, it opens strategic opportunities at multiple levels for the future of the Taylor Young Family”.

Philip Beinhaker, chairman director and chief executive of Toronto-based IBI Group, said: “The ownership of Taylor Young have built a highly professional practice in architecture and related disciplines based in Manchester.

“The firm is also managed in a financially effective and profitable manner. This acquisition will further enhance IBI’s professional strength in the UK market, as well as contribute to the growing strength of the global practice of the firm in health and education.”

The new trading name of the practice will be IBI Taylor Young.