Support services group WSP this week said that it was ready to make acquisitions again now that the business had been successfully turned around.

Pre-tax profit rose 14.4% to £4m in the six months to 30 June 2004. Turnover reached £161.4m, up from £147.5m last year.

Chris Cole, WSP chief executive, said: “2002 was a difficult time for us but it is history now. The results show that we are now back to the level of expectations.”

Cole said that WSP would focus on buying either a multidisciplinary business elsewhere in Europe, or a specialist company within the UK that would complement WSP’s existing business.

WSP is looking at Holland, Denmark, Belgium and Spain, and within the UK it would consider the takeover of a company in the environment or transport sector.

Cole said that the commercial market was showing signs of recovery. WSP has been appointed structural engineer on New York’s £1.2bn Freedom Tower to replace the World Trade Centre, and the £300m Shard of Glass at London Bridge.