KEY POINTS:
Engineering services group, Downer EDI Limited, announced today that the company's New Zealand-based engineering consultancy business, Duffill Watts Consulting Group, has acquired two new consulting businesses in New Zealand - Tse Group Ltd and Glasson Potts Fowler Ltd.
The addition of the two businesses almost doubles the size of Duffill Watts to approximately 360 staff and substantially increases the company's consulting capability and geographic presence in New Zealand.
The addition of Tse Group (120 staff), operating primarily from Wellington, Auckland and Vietnam, will enhance Duffill Watts' core competencies in architecture, engineering, land surveying and resource planning, and in valuations through the specialist subsidiary Tse Wall Arlidge.
Glasson Potts Fowler (40 staff), operating primarily from Christchurch with other offices in Palmerston North, Rotorua and Queenstown, has core competencies in resource management, environmental sciences, environmental engineering and land surveying. Its addition will enhance Duffill Watts' capability out of Christchurch and the company's service offerings in environmental engineering and science services as an adjunct to the specialist services offered by Duffill Watts in wastewater treatment.
Managing Director of Downer EDI, Stephen Gillies, said the 'bolt-on' additions to Duffill Watts were in line with Downer EDI's strategy to further strengthen the company's capability in providing value-adding services to clients at the 'front-end' through consulting and design engineering services.
"The skill-set, capabilities and market presence we see within Duffill Watts mirror and complement those we have in Asia through our Singapore-based CPG Corporation, and will enable us to further build our presence in the Asia-Pacific region," Mr Gillies said.
Chief Executive of Duffill Watts, Doug Troon, said the Duffill Watts business is experiencing increased demand for its consulting services, especially in the areas of infrastructure design and management for local government and new land and building development projects. "The addition of Tse Group and Glasson Potts Fowler provides us with a bigger footprint in New Zealand, a broader range of services and enhances our ability to cross-sell our services to clients," Mr Troon said.
- REUTERS
