SOCOTEC Acquires Butler & Young Group
SOCOTEC, the UK’s leading provider of testing, inspection and compliance services, has enhanced its portfolio with the acquisition of the Butler & Young Group, specialists in building control and fire consultancy services.
The Butler & Young Group is the umbrella company for Butler & Young Approved Inspectors, one of the largest approved inspectors in England and Wales by number of projects, Trenton Fire one of the largest independent fire safety consultancies in the UK and Butler & Young Consultants a leading specialist in built environment consultancy.
With 15 offices throughout the UK, the company employs 175 people, and has been involved in the technical inspection of more than 80,000 construction projects since 1997.
Ian Sparks, CEO, SOCOTEC UK, says:
“We are very pleased to enter the world of building control and fire consultancy services with the acquisition of the Butler & Young Group, the market leader in the UK. The SOCOTEC Group has a long heritage in the building control industry, being France’s first building inspection body set up in 1929. The acquisition of Butler & Young will become the platform for SOCOTEC’s future development in building control and fire consultancy in the UK and further strengthens our position by providing key technical expertise in the construction sector.”
Paul Wilkins, Butler & Young Group, says: “This is an exciting new chapter in the story of the Butler & Young Group, one that will enable appropriate investment to support growth, develop infrastructure and provide significant opportunities for staff development.”
Ian Sparks concludes: “This acquisition is completely in line with our group ambition to become European leader in Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) by 2020 in the construction and infrastructure sectors. I look forward to the opportunities for growth that the addition of Butler & Young will bring.”
