Mott MacDonald buys £120m-turnover civil engineer

Mott MacDonald has bought £120m-turnover Bentley Holdings, the parent company of civil engineer JN Bentley.

The firm employs over 700 people and works mostly in the water sector.

Over 80% of the firm’s business is derived from an existing joint venture with Mott MacDonald, called Mott MacDonald Bentley, which was set up in 1999.

The joint venture has won a number of roles with Yorkshire Water, Severn Trent Water, Anglian Water, United Utilities and Welsh Water for the Asset Management Plan Six spending period that runs from 2015 to 2020.

Keith Howells, chair of Mott MacDonald (pictured), said the acquisition was the “next step for our partnership”.

He added: “The delivery model we have forged with our water industry clients continues to help them maximise value for their operations and their stakeholders – now we’re looking forward to using our collective ingenuity to achieve ever greater benefits across the triple bottom line of social, economic and environmental value.”

Paul Bentley, managing director of JN Bentley, said the acquisition would “benefit our clients and also offers fantastic opportunities for the employees of both companies”. 

He said: “The longstanding success of the joint venture is because we share the same culture and principles. Becoming part of the Mott MacDonald Group will allow us to develop further to meet the challenges we face.”