UK: Environmental engineering services company RSK Group has acquired rail and road contractor Octavius Infrastructure from Sullivan Street Partners.
Octavius is an established civil engineering and electrification business with over 700 employees working in rail and highways. The business has long-standing relationships with Network Rail and Transport for London, and has a portfolio of more than 30 framework contracts. These include a presence in every Network Rail region in England and Wales, including the Southern Renewals Enterprise for Electrification & Plant.
Current rail projects being undertaken by Octavius include the refurbishment of Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight and the roof at London Waterloo station, as well as the construction of new stations at Okehampton Interchange in Devon and at Charfield in Gloucestershire.
Announcing the takeover on November 24, RSK said Octavius would continue under the leadership of CEO John Dowsett, supported by Matt Smith and Gavin Pritchard, managing directors for the rail and highways sectors respectively.
Commenting on the deal, Dowsett said ‘I am very excited about joining the RSK Group and embarking on the next stage of the Octavius journey. Having thrived under the ownership of Sullivan Street Partners, expanding our capabilities, reputation, revenue and profitability, RSK feels like the natural long-term home for us to continue our ambitious growth plans.
‘We will retain our proud Octavius brand and maintain a strong level of autonomy, while enjoying a wealth of support from the considerable expertise within the RSK Group. We have a strong cultural fit with RSK, with complementary strengths, and share a vision for ambitious but sustainable growth.’
RSK Founder & CEO Alan Ryder said he was ‘very proud to see Octavius, a high quality and trusted partner in the UK rail and highway sectors, choose RSK as its long-term home. John and his team have built a remarkable business, and I look forward to working with them as they continue to lead Octavius through many more successes.’
Financial terms were not disclosed.
