Aecom buys URS in $6bn deal

Including the assumption of URS debt, the total value of the transaction is approximately US$6bn (£3.5bn).

The combined company will have more than 95,000 employees in 150 countries and would have calendar year 2013 revenues of more than US$19bn.

“This combination creates an industry leader with the ability to deliver more capabilities from a broad global platform to reach more clients in more industry end markets,” said Michael Burke, Aecom president and chief executive officer. “Clients, employees and stockholders of both companies will benefit from the opportunities created by these expanded capabilities, broad global reach in key growth markets and economies of scale. In one step, we will dramatically accelerate our strategy of creating an integrated delivery platform with superior capabilities to design, build, finance and operate infrastructure assets around the world.”

Martin Koffel, chairman and chief executive officer of URS, said: “This is a compelling strategic combination that we believe will benefit our clients, stockholders and employees. URS stockholders will receive significant, immediate value from the transaction and will be able to participate in the future prospects of the combined company, which we expect will be better positioned to compete for major, complex projects across a diverse range of end markets and geographic regions.”

Koffel continued, “Our two businesses are complementary, and our cultures are highly compatible. We anticipate that employees from the combined company will benefit as the organisation integrates its leadership talent and capitalizes on its greater scale to invest in its people, improve their career opportunities and advance their capacity to compete globally.”

The transaction is expected to close in October.

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