The deal creates a £108m-turnover UK engineering consultancy with 26 offices and 1,340 employees, Sweco said.
MLM Group employs 460 people, has annual revenue of approximately £40m and underlying earnings of approximately £4m. It has 12 UK offices, with Norwich being the most northerly, plus a Dublin office.
Sweco UK turned over £66m in 2017, its most recent accounts show.
The purchase price was not disclosed.
MLM Group was established David Maddocks and John Lusher in 1966. They were joined by Colin Matthews in 1973. MLM has specialist expertise in structural engineering and compliance, complementing Sweco’s skills in transportation, environment, energy and building design.
Sweco first entered the UK market in 2015 through its acquisition of the Dutch firm Grontmij, which had a UK presence. Since then, Sweco UK – which is part of Europe’s largest engineering and architectural consultancy – has worked on Scotland’s Queensferry Crossing and the new Bloomberg European Headquarters in London.
Sweco UK president Max Joy said: “This acquisition marks the start of an exciting new chapter in our UK growth story. The combination of Sweco and MLM Group’s expertise in transport, buildings and environmental engineering will enhance our value proposition to customers while opening up new opportunities in key markets.
“We believe the combination of Sweco’s established expertise in building design, with MLM’s specialist structural engineering capabilities and world-class compliance offer is a compelling proposition for new and existing customers. MLM’s presence in the southeast of England and Dublin, is an excellent fit with our existing office network, providing an enlarged geographic footprint which brings us closer to our clients.
“Our businesses have a strong cultural fit, and we remain focused on being the most approachable and committed partner to our clients, while driving sustainability across the built environment.”
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