Gleeds is California dreaming as it spots a gap in US market

Gleeds is poised to buy a US programme management consultancy of around 50 to 100 staff.

The move would be part of a strategy to double the firm's global project management capacity to around 300 people by 2009.

Both goals come under a four-year plan to increase overall staff from 1,000 to 1,500 and turnover from £65m to £100m.

The American acquisition target is likely to have several offices around the country, with particular strength in California.

This would bolster Gleeds' US geographical presence and manpower, which currently consists of 30 staff in offices in Denver and Atlanta.

The firm's senior partner Richard Steer said he was, "in discussions with one or two potential people" and hoped to seal a deal in the next year to 18 months. "It would be a way of leapfrogging organic growth," he said.

Steer said there was a budding market for British QSs in the US, where there are no traditional cost consulting companies, except for UK companies practicing there. "Two or three US firms do offer a cost management service. They call it programme management and it's not the detailed cost control that we love so dearly in the UK," said Steer.

Steer plans to recruit 500 staff in the next three to four years. This will include around 100 to 150 project managers, 100 QSs and 50 management consultants.

If he succeeds with the management consultants this will double Gleeds' capacity in this area.

The remaining recruits will be from other disciplines. This will include building surveying, another area the firm is looking to boost. "The role of the independent certifier is something we are building up," Steer said, due to new forms of construction contracts requiring building surveyors to sign-off designs.

The effort would focus on regional offices, he added, as the London office currently does not offer building surveying and due to the strength of the competition among building surveyors in the capital.

Gleeds opened its second office in China last month in Suzhou, an emerging industrial city two hours from Shanghai. The firm is basing around 10 of its China team in the new branch. The firm also plans to open an office in Albania.