Our Corporate Finance team advises Engineering Services Partnership Limited on their sale to Contollo Group Limited

Our Corporate Finance team recently advised Engineering Services Partnership Limited (“ESP”) on its sale to Contollo Group Limited (“Contollo”). Backed by NorthEdge Capital, this is Contollo’s fourth acquisition this year.

ESP operates from four main offices located in Croydon, Peterborough, Manchester and Edinburgh. The company provides specialist engineering expertise across various sectors, including banking, critical facilities, data centres, retail, industrial and logistics and commercial.

Contollo is a consultancy specialising in smart building solutions, dedicated to helping clients in the built environment achieve their net-zero goals. Supported by the private equity firm NorthEdge, the Group has ambitious growth plans and is actively expanding through the acquisition of specialist consulting businesses. Its acquisition journey began in February 2024 with Abacus Cost Consulting, followed by TACE (M&E) and MBA Consulting Engineers in October 2024. Contollo plans to expand further through acquisition in 2025.

Philip Graham-Clare, Managing Director at ESP, commented: “We’re incredibly excited about the opportunity to be part of the Contollo Group. This transaction combines our strengths and enables us to deliver additional services, increased capacity, and even greater efficiency and sustainability for our clients, something we’re very passionate about.

We greatly appreciate the support and guidance of the team at James Cowper Kreston, led by Jack Griggs. Their corporate finance expertise and recent experience within the built environment sector was invaluable in navigating the complexities of the transaction and achieving a positive outcome for all. I would not hesitate to recommend their services to other owner-managers considering a change in ownership.”

Jack Griggs, Senior Manager at James Cowper Kreston Corporate Finance, commented: “We are delighted to have completed another transaction in the dynamic built environment sector, which continues to experience significant deal activity. Philip and the team at ESP have established a well-respected consultancy with deep sector expertise and a blue-chip clientele, perfectly complementing Contollo's existing capabilities. We wish Philip and the team all the best with Contollo, an impressive group with ambitious plans that we look forward to following.”