Ramboll has acquired the US-based global consultancy, ENVIRON, adding more than 1,500 environmental and health science specialists in 21 countries.

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.

Ramboll Group CEO Jens-Peter Saul commented:

“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.”

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.

Ramboll is one of the UK’s largest independent engineering and environmental consultancies, with 14 different offices throughout the country. An extra 200 people will join Ramboll in the UK as a result of the acquisition.

Steve Canadine Managing Director at Ramboll UK said:

“Within the UK market, Environ represent a great fit. Working together we will be able to offer a much broader suite of services to clients and enjoy far greater presence within the UK environmental market.

“Their team of just under 200 people expands our UK team to 380 and also increases our UK network to 16 offices.”

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.

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 services which include site solutions, environmental impact assessments and water services.

According to Ramboll, ENVIRON is a perfect fit and will give its environmental profile a significant boost. Jens-Peter Saul added:

“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

Ramboll described North America as “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. The acquisition provides a strong platform for growth of Ramboll’s multidisciplinary services in the US and beyond.

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 staff.