Ramboll has acquired the US-based global consultancy, ENVIRON, adding more than 1,500 environmental and health science specialists in 21 countries. The merger places Ramboll in the global elite within environmental services and represents a major step for the leading Nordic consultancy in becoming truly global. ENVIRON was one of the key experienced companies presenting at the recent International Mining Myanmar in Yangon. Company executives presented two papers, Regulatory considerations in Myanmar – exploration through mine development and Environmental and social management challenges in mine development, operations and closure – a focus on Myanmar.
Ramboll says “the acquisition positions Ramboll among the top 10 leading environmental consultancies globally with 2,700 experts working within environment, health and water worldwide and a total staff close to 12,500 employees in 35 countries. At the time of the acquisition, the combined revenue of Ramboll and ENVIRON exceeds $1.7 billion, of which 34% will be generated outside the Nordic countries. Measured on revenue the US will become the fourth biggest geography after Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Commenting on the acquisition Ramboll Group CEO Jens-Peter Saul said: “Strengthening our portfolio within environmental services and expanding into new attractive regions, specifically North America, has been a strategic priority for us since 2012. The acquisition of ENVIRON is an important milestone in fulfilling this ambition. We are creating a fantastic platform for future growth and Ramboll moves a big step closer to becoming a truly global consultancy.”
ENVIRON CEO Stephen Washburn added: “Joining forces with Ramboll puts us in an even stronger position to continue working on the most challenging environmental and human health problems, including the implications of global urbanisation, climate change and resource scarcity. The environmental and human health challenges facing society have never been greater. Working together, Ramboll and ENVIRON are ideally positioned to help the global community and our clients in meeting these challenges.”
With ENVIRON on board, Ramboll’s presence will be particularly strong in the Nordic countries, North America, the UK, Continental Europe (including France, Germany and Italy), Middle East and India, supplemented by a significant representation in Asia, Australia, South America and Sub-Saharan Africa.
ENVIRON combines a science-based approach with business consulting skills to offer spearhead services such as site solutions, air quality management, due diligence, health sciences, environmental impact assessments and water services.
“ENVIRON is the perfect fit and will give our environmental profile a significant boost. The company brings a complementary service portfolio of high-end competencies with key synergies in especially air quality, health, site solutions and due diligence. This gives us a both stronger and broader offering. Together we will have access to some of the largest cities and multinational clients that enable us to compete for bigger and more challenging multidisciplinary projects. This will help accelerate future portfolio growth and create exciting opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach”, said Saul
The companies believe “North America is the world’s most attractive market for consulting engineering services.” In North America alone, ENVIRON employs close to 1,000 specialists in environmental and health sciences across more than 50 offices. Consequently, the acquisition provides a strong platform for growth of Ramboll’s multidisciplinary services in the US and beyond.
“With ENVIRON’s strong presence and brand in North America, it will be possible to add Ramboll’s multidisciplinary services over time. Starting with adjacent services like energy, oil and gas and then moving into other areas, we will build a mixed portfolio at the locations already set up by ENVIRON, and the synergy between the two companies will be utilised in projects right away”, said Saul.
Joining forces with Ramboll creates further growth opportunities for ENVIRON. “Over its 30 year history, ENVIRON has been able to grow steadily in the US and around the world without sacrificing profit margins. With this merger, we will be able to provide clients with enhanced capabilities and service, creating even greater opportunities for growth”, concluded Washburn.