Eurofins, a leading international group of laboratories, has won a competitive bid to purchase Southern Water’s laboratories and analytical services business. The deal, which completed on the 1st July 2007, significantly increases Eurofins market share within the growing UK environmental sector.

As part of the bid, Southern Water has also awarded Eurofins a €28 million contract over five years to provide regulatory water testing and sampling services. 

Eurofins will also assume the laboratory assets currently located at Southern Water’s Falmer, Otterbourne and Chatham sites and the transfer of 132 Southern Water staff currently performing these services.  Third party services currently conducted through Southern Water’s Scientific Services business unit will also transfer to Eurofins under the terms of the agreement.

The transfer of staff and laboratory assets to Eurofins ensures continuity of expertise and high quality analytical and sampling services for Southern Water, while delivering efficiency gains and industry best practice support through partnering with a dedicated testing services provider operating a global laboratory network. 

John Rowley, Managing Director of the company’s UK environmental business commented, “We are delighted that our bid has been successful; Southern Water has an enviable reputation for the quality of its analytical services. Combined with Eurofins’ wealth of expertise and breadth of analytical capability the acquisition will provide us with the opportunity to further widen our services to our UK clients and increase our presence in this important sector”.