Livingstone the Architects of Owen Williams Consultancy Deal
February 2006
The award-winning firm of consulting engineers responsible for the design of the original Wembley Stadium, the M1 motorway and Spaghetti Junction has been sold for an undisclosed sum.
Birmingham-based Owen Williams Group, founded in 1919 by British architect and engineer Sir Owen Williams, has been acquired by Amey Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the leading Spanish construction group Ferrovial, and the second largest construction group in Europe.
From its Midlands headquarters and 18 satellite offices across the U.K. Owen Williams serves the railways, highways, property and facilities management sectors, providing major design, project and asset management consultancy services.
The deal was negotiated by Livingstone after Chief Executive and major shareholder Richard Williams concluded that, after five years of sustained growth, the future potential in the company would be maximised by joining forces with a strategic partner.
Livingstone Managing Partner, Tim Lyle, says “Richard Williams asked us to advise the shareholders on an unsolicited approach from Amey and to ascertain the levels of interest that could be generated from other purchasers. There has, in fact, been a significant level of activity within this sector recently and we identified a number of potential purchasers but it was decided to accept Amey’s cash offer as we believe it fairly reflects the value built up in the business by Richard and his team.”
For further information contact:
Tim Lyle
T: +44 20 7484 4710
E: lyle@livingstonepartners.co.uk
Graham Carberry
T: +44 20 7484 4728
E: carberry@livingstonepartners.co.uk
