Leading provider of essential services to small businesses in the UK Verastar has announced the acquisition of Aimera, one of the largest independent water providers in Scotland.
Verastar supplies electricity, gas, water, fixed and mobile telecommunications, broadband and fibre connectivity and insurance services, to an estimated 10% of all the UK’s small businesses.
The acquisition is Verastar’s eighth transaction in the last 18 months, and forms part of the ongoing strategy to bolster organic growth with company and asset purchases.
The group first entered the Scottish Water industry in 2013 with the acquisition of Clear Business Water Ltd, and now offers water services in England following the de-regulation of the English water market for non-household customers in April 2017.
The acquisition of Aimera will increase Verastar’s water customer volumes and provides access to new sales channels to support future organic growth. The combined group is the largest challenger in Scotland and strengthens Verastar’s credentials as it aims to take market share across the UK.
There is increasing demand from small businesses to receive their essential services from a single provider at competitive prices. To address this, Verastar continues to pursue further acquisitions across each of the industries in which it operates including telecoms, energy, insurance, and Scottish and English water.
Chris Earle, CEO of Verastar, said:
“We are delighted to expand our water services with the addition of Aimera to the Group. The team at Aimera has been a pioneer in the Scottish water market and we are very happy to have them join us. We have an extensive range of essential business services, from water and energy to telecoms and insurance, to meet the needs of SMEs.
“Our customers want to concentrate their efforts on running their businesses, so our scale and range of services saves them both time and money. It is great to welcome another fantastic business to Verastar, and we look forward to serving our new customers at Aimera.”
Piotr Nowosad, Strategy and Business Development Director of Verastar, said
“Verastar have led the way in consolidating the Scottish water market, bringing efficiency and driving down costs for SME businesses. We have already begun to replicate that model and shake up the market in England following de-regulation in April 2017. We continue to be active in seeking to acquire companies and customer books across a broad product portfolio including payments, insurance, telecoms, energy and water.”
Attendees at next month’s National Civils Show, Floodex, National Drainage Show and Waterways Management on 26th and 27th November are set to benefit from an expert speaker line-up and the opportunity to visit a wide range of exhibitors all co-located in one place at Excel, London, one of the UK’s leading international exhibition and convention centres.
Tackling leakage is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways for utilities to bolster water security, writes Ben Crabtree, Product Line Director, Ovarro, revealing how the potential of smart technologies is being demonstrated around the world.
UK-headquartered South Staffordshire Plc, the integrated services group operating within the UK critical infrastructure and essential services markets, has received a prestigious Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Award for global health and safety excellence.
Balfour Beatty, the UK’s largest construction and infrastructure provider, has delivered exceptional environmental results on the Thames Estuary Asset Management 2100 (TEAM2100) framework, one of the nation’s most ambitious flood defence initiatives.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video. 
What is to be done about the UK’s failing utilities? Listen to Professor Dieter Helm explore the options to tackle the UK’s failing utilities – Thames Water, the Royal Mail and Network Rail in particular.