Ramboll acquires US-based ENVIRON to enter global elite in environment and health

Ramboll has acquired the US-based global consultancy, ENVIRON, adding more than 1,500 environmental and health science specialists in 21 countries. The acquisition places Ramboll in the global elite within environmental services and represents a major step for the leading Nordic consultancy in becoming truly global.

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.

“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”, says Ramboll Group CEO Jens-Peter Saul.

“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”, says ENVIRON CEO Stephen Washburn.

With ENVIRON on board, Ramboll’s presence will be particularly strong in the Nordics, 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.

At the time of the acquisition, the combined revenue of Ramboll and ENVIRON exceeds DKK 10 billion (USD 1.7 billion), of which 34% will be generated outside the Nordics. Measured on revenue, the US will become the fourth biggest geography after Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Stronger environment and health profile
ENVIRON is one of the world’s leading environmental and health sciences consultancies, primarily working with private sector clients, including prominent multinational corporations, law firms and financial organisations. The company 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”, says Jens-Peter Saul.

Solid US platform for growth
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 setup by ENVIRON, and the synergy between the two companies will be utilised in projects right away”, says Jens-Peter Saul.

During the last decade Ramboll has experienced substantial growth. In the first three quarters of 2014, Ramboll has grown with around 800 employees as a result of both acquisitions and organic growth. The acquisition of ENVIRON adds another 1,500 new colleagues.