Stockport based environmental consultancy, APEM, has announced the acquisition of Irish firm Woodrow, an environmental and sustainability consultancy based in County Sligo, Ireland.
Woodrow is the first acquisition for the Stockport firm since it underwent a management buyout in 2019. APEM has been aided in its recent growth by WestBridge Capital and now plans further expansion overseas.
Founded in 2004 by Will Woodrow and Sharon Eastwood, Woodrow provides consultancy services across ecology, energy, sustainable construction, environmental education, training, policy and legislation advice. The firm’s reputation in Ireland for service quality was a key proponent of APEM’s acquisition.
APEM CEO, Dr Adrian Williams (pictured) commented:
“This is the start of an exciting journey for all of us. We are thrilled to welcome such a well-respected and established business to the fold. Woodrow’s dedication to quality, best practice and technical expertise are a natural fit for APEM. It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with Will and Sharon over the last few months and I look forward to us becoming stronger together, delivering an unrivalled range of services to existing and new clients alike.”
The Woodrow team will remain part of the business following the acquisition, with founders Will and Sharon remaining in leadership roles. Will Woodrow, said:
“As a growing environmental consultancy, formed and established in the north-west of Ireland, we are delighted to have found a natural home in the APEM Group that will enable us to continue to grow and provide the highest quality of service to our clients. The culture at APEM was a critical reason for us choosing to join the Group, and we are very excited about the opportunities that it will bring for our clients and our staff in the future.”
Investor, WestBridge Capital’s Director, Peter Barkley said of their role in financing the acquisition:
“Supporting the APEM team to supplement their organic growth plans through the acquisition of domestic and international businesses with high quality, complementary capability and strong cultural alignment is a core part of our strategy. We are delighted to support APEM in making this acquisition and believe the addition of Woodrow’s technical expertise and reputation to APEM’s existing capability will allow us to better serve customers of both businesses in the Irish market.”