Property services snaps up counterpart in pan-Pennine deal
A Property Services Consultancy with a growing base in Leeds has snapped up a chartered quantity surveying and project management business.
Walker Sime acquired WCP Associates, which is located in Manchester. All WCP staff are to transfer over to Walker Sime.
The deal takes Walker Sime’s staff numbers to 91, across three offices in Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. Its core services include quantity surveying, project management, dispute resolution, commercial management, CDM consultancy and bills of quantities.
WCP advises blue chip developers such as Network Space and has delivered some of the North’s most high-profile projects, including Surf Snowdonia in the Conway valley. It has also advised the national network of OnSide Youth Zones since inception.
Walker Sime founder, Des Walker, said: “We’re really pleased to get the deal done and to welcome some excellent new colleagues into the business,” said .
“It’s great news for our clients, too, and will ensure we continue to develop Walker Sime into one of the UK’s best independent property consultancies.”
WCP Director Robert Seger added: “Walker Sime saw this as a tremendous long-term opportunity to capitalise on the wealth of experience and synergies of both businesses and we’re looking forward to joining the team of one of the north’s leading construction consultancies.
“There’s a really strong cultural fit and a great chemistry and this felt like the next logical step in our development.
“Our clients will enjoy a greater depth of resource and additional services while our staff will benefit from a wider range of career opportunities.”
The acquisition is the latest step in Walker Sime’s programme to expand the business and follows a series of internal promotions, including the appointment of Duncan Firth as Managing Director and Mark Parker as head of the company’s expanding project management division.
Current company projects include advising on Leeds Bradford Airport’s estate management programme, supporting development giant Peel on the delivery of its Liverpool Waters masterplan and advising Trilogy Real Estate on the redevelopment of Manchester’s Great Northern Warehouse.
Pannone advised Walker Sime on the transaction. LLM acted for WCP.
