International acquisitions see SLR enjoy growth

AN INTERNATIONAL environmental consultancy chaired by prominent Birmingham businessman John Crabtree has seen significant growth in the past 12 months.

In its results for the year ending October 29, 2010, SLR Management reports an EBITA growth of 67% to £7.7m, which it says is a new record for the group, and an increase in revenues of 24% to £67.3m, from £54.4m in 2009.

SLR said it had completed three acquisitions during the year; a £10m buyout in February of Heggies, an Australian provider of environmental consulting services, a £5m acquisition in July of Alaska-based Hoefler Consulting and a £2m acquisition in January of Andrew McCarthy Associates, a UK ecological consultancy.

SLR is headquartered in Aylesbury and Mr Crabtree is involved in many businesses across the second city.

He is chairman of Real Estate Investors, chairman of Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust, senior independent director of Staffline Holdings and a director of Advantage West Midlands.

David Richards, chief executive of SLR Management, said: “In just over a year, we have transformed SLR from being focussed on the UK, with North American operations, to being one of a very small number of truly international specialist environmental consultancies with a strong footprint across Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, USA and now Africa.”