Verisk Analytics to acquire Wood Mackenzie

March 10, 2015 — Fusion DigiNet

logo_verisk-t1Data analytics provider Verisk Analytics is acquiring Wood Mackenzie from private equity firm Hellman & Friedman and other Wood Mackenzie shareholders. Wood Mackenzie provides data analytics and commercial intelligence for the energy, chemicals, metals and mining verticals.

The purchase price is £1.850 billion (approximately $2.8 billion) to be paid in cash. Verisk intends to finance the transaction through a combination of about $2 billion in debt and up to $800 million in equity.

For the year ended December 31, 2014, Wood Mackenzie’s revenue and EBITDA were £2woodmac_logo27 million and £107 million, respectively, representing an EBITDA margin of 47.1%. The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2015. Stephen Halliday, Wood Mackenzie’s CEO, will continue to lead the business, reporting to Verisk president and CEO, Scott Stephenson.

In July 2012 Fusion DigiNet reported that private equity group Hellman & Friedman had taken a 63% stake in Wood Mackenzie in a deal that valued Wood Mackenzie at £1.1 billion pounds (approximately $1.7 billion). Vendor Charterhouse retained a 13 percent interest. Wood Mackenzie’s management and staff held a 24 percent interest.

Based in Edinburgh, Wood Mackenzie’s customer base includes 800+ international and national energy and metals companies, financial institutions, and governments. Wood Mackenzie works with strategy and policy makers, business development executives, market analysts, corporate finance professionals, risk teams, and investors. The company has approximately 1,000 employees worldwide with offices in Edinburgh, Dubai, Houston, London, Singapore, and Sydney.

“Wood Mackenzie is a world-class company and an excellent addition to the Verisk family,” said Scott Stephenson, president and chief executive officer of Verisk Analytics. “The company has significant opportunities in the global energy, chemicals, metals and mining verticals, a track record of consistent revenue growth and profitability, distinctive and mission-critical solutions, and an impressive management team. Those are all features of a unique and wonderful business.”

USA, Jersey City, NJ and UK, Edinburgh

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Energy Assets Group acquires SA Gas Engineers

March 3, 2015 — Fusion DigiNet

Energy Assets GroupEnergy Assets Group plc, a provider of I&C gas metering services in the UK, has acquired SA Gas Engineers Limited, an accredited meter asset manager and a UK expert in complex I&C gas engineering and specialist siteworks projects. 

sa_gas_logoEstablished in 1992 and based in Nottingham, SA Gas provides services both upstream and downstream of the customer’s meter. The company has a wealth of experience and expertise in all types of I&C gas related engineering projects.  In the year to 31 July 2014 SA Gas generated turnover of £2.9m.

The transaction consideration comprises an initial cash payment of £3.4m, 222,108 shares in Energy Assets Group plc, with a market value of £1m, which are subject to the sellers of SA Gas remaining with the Group during a restrictive period of two years, an earnout consideration of up to £0.5m contingent on the future profitability of SA Gas and an amount for the completion cash balance of SA Gas which will be determined on the basis of completion accounts.  The cash consideration is also subject to post-completion adjustment by reference to the actual completion working capital of SA Gas.  Cash consideration will be funded from a combination of cash reserves and existing loan facilities.  

Phil Bellamy-Lee, Chief Executive of Energy Assets, commented: “Energy Assets has built a strong relationship with SA Gas over a number of years, working together on several major projects, and I am delighted to now welcome them fully into the Group in an acquisition that represents another significant step in our growth strategy.  The strong SA Gas brand and reputation, along with the wealth of acquired expertise, will complement our existing business resulting in further improvements to the service offering and value delivered to our customers.”

UK, Livingston, West Lothian & Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

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RPS Group acquires Klotz Associates for up to $24.1M

February 17, 2015 — Fusion DigiNet

RPSlogoRPS Group plc has acquired Klotz Associates Inc. (“KAI”), a Texas based consultancy providing engineering, planning and environmental services, for a maximum consideration of US$24.1million (£15.9 million).

KlotzFounded in 1985, KAI has its headquarters in Houston and offices in Austin, San Antonio, Lufkin and Fort Worth. The company, which employs 116 staff, works primarily on projects associated with transport, water and land development, primarily to public sector clients in Texas.
Seventeen of the eighteen vendors of the business, including the founder Wayne Klotz, are remaining with RPS; the other vendor has recently retired.

In the year to 31 December 2014, KAI had revenues of US$26.2 million (£17.2 million), fee income of US$19.4 million (£12.8 million) and profit before tax of US$3.6 million (£2.4 million), after adjustment for non-recurring items. Net assets at 31 December 2014 were US$5.4 million (£3.6 million). Gross assets at 31 December 2014 were US$9.3 million (£6.1 million).
RPS is acquiring the entire share capital of KAI for a maximum total consideration of US$24.1 million (£15.9 million), all payable in cash. Consideration paid to the vendors at completion was US$16.9 million (£11.1 million). Subject to certain operational conditions being met, two further sums of US$4.8 million (£3.2 million) and US$2.4 million (£1.6 million) will be paid to the vendors on the first and second anniversaries of the transaction respectively.

Alan Hearne, Chief Executive of RPS, commented: “Klotz Associates has an excellent reputation and track record in Texas, as well as a strong management team. Its skills will complement the services RPS currently provides in the water sector.  It will also enable us to extend the range of capabilities of our business to include transport and infrastructure consulting.  We anticipate Wayne Klotz and his highly experienced team will make an important contribution to our BNE North America business, which remains a priority for investment for the RPS Board.”

UK, Abingdon, Oxfordshire & USA, Houston, TX

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Xchanging plc acquires spend analytics company Spikes Cavell

February 6, 2015 — Fusion DigiNet

xchangingXchanging plc, a business process, procurement and technology services provider, is to acquire the spend analytics company Spikes Cavell Analytic Limited, for up to $11.5 million on a cash free, debt free basis. $6.75m will be paid on completion, and up to a further $4.75m will be payable over the next two years, subject to achieving operating performance targets.The Acquisition is expected to complete by the end of March 2015.

spikes cavellSCAL is a British company which provides spend analytics technology and services mainly to public sector institutions in the UK and higher education authorities in the USA, but also increasingly to the private sector.  Based in Newbury (UK) and Virginia (US) and with 35 employees, SCAL has around 60 lead customers, some of whom represent groups. SCAL had revenues of £1.8m for the year ended 31 March 2014.

Spend analytics is an important diagnostic tool for customer due diligence in determining spend savings and is frequently included within wider procurement engagements. Spend analytics also provides a way for measuring spend in order to manage supply chain risk and assist organisations in assessing their compliance with diversity programmes. SCAL is also pioneering analytics services that benchmark an organisation’s competitiveness against its peers.  

Ken Lever, Xchanging’s Chief Executive, commented: “Increasingly organisations are recognising the major savings that can be made by using technology to enhance their procurement strategies. Our procurement business went through a significant transformation in 2014, building on the impetus of the MM4 acquisition, made in late 2013, which brought a core technology platform. It also opened up the business to accelerated client acquisition by increasing the number of lower price point offerings. SCAL contributes to this strategy and further enhances our technology capabilities.”

UK, London & UK, Berkshire & USA, Virginia

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Accenture to expand smart grid operations and energy trading and risk management services through acquisition of Structure

January 7, 2015 — Fusion DigiNet

accenture1Accenture is to acquire Structure, a provider of consulting, system integration and customised solutions and services to energy and utilities clients. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“Bringing together two very similar cultures with deep skills in the utilities and energy industries reinforces our ability to help our clients solve some of the most complex and critical challenges that lie at the heart of the digital transformation,” said Omar Abbosh, senior managing director, Accenture Resources operating group. “Structure’s capabilities in grid operations and power systems engineering, combined with Accenture’s global strengths in information technology (IT), will provide our clients with comprehensive end-to-end solutions and services to support the integration of operational technologies with IT systems, forging a path toward a smarter, more digital grid.

“This includes the deployment of advanced distribution management systems and automation solutions, as well as improved outage management and grid analytics. We also plan to combine Structure’s market operations and commodities trading services with Accenture’s capabilities in digital asset management to help our clients optimize their commercial positions.”

Founded in 1998, Structure is based in Houston. Its more than 190 employees will operate within Accenture’s Resources operating group.

The acquisition of Structure is the second for Accenture in the energy sector within a few months – in August last year it acquired Hytracc Consulting, an IT services company that provides IT consulting services to firms in the oil & gas sector. In December last year Accenture acquired Australia-based digital agency Reactive Media.

USA, Houston, TX

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Accenture Completes Acquisition of Acquity Group Posted on July 9, 2013

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Mitie acquires real estate, technology and risk management consultancy Source Eight Limited

November 26, 2014 — Fusion DigiNet

MITIE

Mitie Group plc has acquired a majority stake in Source Eight Limited, a real estate, technology and risk management consultancy.

Source8 delivers real estate, technology and risk management consultancy services to global corporations, with particular expertise in emerging markets and complex environments. The company had turnover of £4.5m in 2013. The initial consideration payable is a maximum of £2.95 million, with £2.5 million paid in cash on completion, and the remainder payable dependent on performance targets. Further consideration is payable in cash up to a maximum of £12.5 million (£15.45m total consideration) depending on financial performance over a five year period.

UK, Bristol & London

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Energy Assets Group acquires Origin Technical Business Services

October 7, 2014 — Fusion DigiNet

Energy Assets GroupEnergy Assets Group plc, the UK provider of industrial and commercial gas metering services in the UK, has acquired the entire issued ordinary share capital of Origin Technical Business Services Limited, a provider and developer of mobile works management systems, data capture, data hosting and analysis services to both Energy Assets and a number of other customers within the utility sector. 

The total value of the transaction is £0.85m. It includes an initial payment of £0.4m, a deferred consideration of £0.25m and an amount of £0.2m for the completion cash balance. 

Phil Bellamy-Lee, Chief Executive of Energy Assets, said, “The software services that Origin provides are key components of our bespoke management systems and the acquisition will enable Energy Assets to further improve the service offering provided to our customers through differentiated technology.”

Based in Chesterfield, Origin was established in 2001 by Simon Matthews as a spin off from British Gas contractor, Thomas Bermingham.  The company has nine employees including a team of software development engineers.  Origin has a long standing relationship with Energy Assets Group and currently provides the software interface and on-site mobile installation and audit platform for Energy Assets’ project and supply chain management platform ‘TEAMS’. All intellectual property rights will transfer on acquisition.

UK, Blackburn, Lancashire

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Ameresco acquires independent energy services provider Energyexcel

August 18, 2014 — Fusion DigiNet

amerescoAmeresco, an energy efficiency and renewable energy company, has acquired the energy consultancy and energy project management business of Energyexcel LLP, an independent energy services provider located in Central London. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

This is Ameresco’s second UK acquisition in 14 months. In June 2013 Fusion DigiNet reported that Ameresco acquired ESP, an energy management consulting company consisting of The Energy Services Partnership and ESP Response, located in Castleford, UK.

“We look forward to having the Energyexcel team join the Ameresco family, further supporting our commitment in the UK market and expanding our capabilities and value-added services to serve local and multi-national commercial, industrial and manufacturing customers in North America and Europe,” said David J. Anderson, Executive Vice President, Ameresco. “Our acquisition of the Energyexcel business, combined with the capabilities of our recent acquisition of ESP, allows Ameresco to provide a comprehensive range of energy efficiency, renewable energy solutions and intelligent energy management services, addressing both sides of the customers’ meter, including energy supply, demand response, real-time energy data information and analytics, and utility invoice management. The experience and capabilities of these award-winning organizations allows Ameresco to advance its geographic expansion abroad while increasing our business in the commercial and industrial space.”

Energyexcel’s efficiency and project management services help commercial and industrial customers improve performance of existing energy systems, introduce new energy-efficient technologies and onsite generation, institute energy monitoring and targeting (M&T), reduce carbon emissions and track sustainability initiatives, comply with energy and climate change requirements, and realize energy cost savings to improve business performance. Some current Energyexcel customers include a large UK-based pharmaceutical company, four of the five largest supermarket chains in the UK, and a multinational chocolate bar manufacturer.

USA, Framingham, MA & UK, London

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Utilitywise plc – Year End Trading Update

August 5, 2014 — Fusion DigiNet

utilitywise-logoEnergy management consultancy Utilitywise PLC has provided a trading update for its financial year ended 31 July 2014.

The announcement

Revenue and adjusted profit before tax is expected to be in line with market expectations. Net cash balances at 31 July 2014 stood at approximately £9.7 million, comfortably ahead of market expectations, in part as a result of improved commercial terms with a number of energy suppliers.  The Group’s  revenue pipeline, representing revenue secured but yet to be recognised, was £28.2 million as at 31 July 2014 compared to £16.6 million as at 31 July 2013 (31 Jan 2014: £23.8 million).

(Fusion DigiNet – As at 31 January 2014 the Company reported revenues from H1 2013 to H1 2014 of £21m.)

Trading remains strong and the Board is confident in the Group’s ability to deliver continued organic growth. The customer base continues to grow across all business units and the Group’s new business run rate remains in line with management expectations.

 Utilitywise expects to announce its full year results to 31st July 2014, in the final week of October 2014.

Geoff Thompson, CEO of Utilitywise, commented: “We are delighted to provide an update on what has been another period of growth for the business, both organically and through acquisition. The strong trading momentum from the first half of the year has continued into the second half and as a result, we anticipate results to be in line with market expectations which were revised upward at the time of the Group’s interim results. Progress with the strategic scaling of the business has continued as expected and the planned move to our new facility is on schedule for occupancy to commence in October, providing the necessary capacity to grow total Group headcount to 1,400 over the next two years. Additionally, following its acquisition in April, ICON is performing as planned, and the Board remains confident in the Group’s future prospects.”

The company has also announced that it is moving to larger premises at Cobalt Business Park, North Tyneside.

UK, South Shields

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GDF SUEZ, through its Cofely subsidiary, acquires Lend Lease’s UK FM ssets

July 7, 2014 — Fusion DigiNet

gdf suezGDF SUEZ through its Cofely subsidiary has completed the purchase of Lend Lease Group’s UK facilities management business (LLFM).

This acquisition will make Cofely one of the UK’s largest providers of technical services PFI and provide an increased portfolio of long-term FM contracts in key public sector and healthcare markets. Over the next 25 years these contracts will provide Cofely with a guaranteed revenue stream of 2.5 billion GBP. The transaction will also give Cofely a significant, new lifecycle management capability to its business, which includes building fabric and major repair & replacement.

LLFM currently provides a range of FM services across the UK and Ireland, with particular focus on healthcare, education, government and retail. The business has a number of large long-term contracts with clients comprising a number of major National Health Service (NHS) Trust hospitals at locations including Manchester and Leeds, Local Education Authorities in Birmingham and Lincolnshire, HM Treasury and Bluewater Shopping Centre.

LLFM will be combined with Cofely’s existing UK business with immediate effect, with the new entity operating under the Cofely brand.

Commenting on the acquisition Jérôme Tolot, GDF SUEZ Executive Vice President, in charge of the Energy Services Business Line: “The acquisition of LLFM reinforces our strategy to further evolve our business here in the UK. It continues to strengthen our service capability and our credentials as a leading UK service provider. LLFM has many synergies with our existing business and it will also provide us with the addition of a full lifecycle management capability. This will allow us to introduce and integrate new smart & low carbon energy efficient technologies into buildings for customers over the term of the contracts.”

The acquisition follows Cofely’s purchase of Balfour Beatty WorkPlace in late 2013.

France, Paris & UK, London

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