Third acquisition for Environmental Essentials as buy-and-build drive gains pace

The company, one of the UK’s leading asbestos service providers, has acquired Callidus Health & Safety Ltd for an undisclosed sum, providing a significant route into untapped markets, including health and safety and asset management.

The deal follows the acquisitions of Adams Environmental and Quality Environmental Services Ltd.

Leeds-based Callidus is a leading consultant in health and safety, project management, asset management, environmental services and training.

Employing 18 people, the company works across education, retail, healthcare, and infrastructure, with clients including Marks & Spencer, the University of Leicester and NHS Lothian. As part of the deal, Managing Director Steve Allcoat and his team of consultants will remain with the business, bringing a wealth of health and safety-related expertise to Environmental Essentials.

Commenting on the deal, James Riley Executive Director and co-founder of Environmental Essentials, said: “The acquisition of Callidus makes perfect sense for Environmental Essentials, adding health and safety capabilities to our existing services of water hygiene, air hygiene, and asbestos management. As major areas of compliance, they are all highly complementary from a business perspective and create a compelling proposition.”

Alex Sleeth, Executive Chairman at Environmental Essentials, added: “By incorporating the wealth of expertise and capabilities of Callidus into our business, it allows us to diversify our offering and, with it, gain national coverage. Not only does it allow us to cross-sell our existing services into new and untapped markets, while providing our workforce with a fantastic opportunity to upskill in the area of health and safety, but it also strengthens our compliance proposition.”

In total, BGF has invested £5.6 million in Environmental Essentials, as it looks to cement its position across the UK as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for key compliance services, including asbestos management, water hygiene and fire risk management.

BGF investor, Jon Earl, added: “The acquisition of Callidus is yet another demonstration of the team’s ambition and desire to build a company that has the strength and depth, in personnel, services and technological capabilities, to meet the growing needs of customers across the compliance landscape.

Based in Stoke-on-Trent and operating from six offices throughout the UK, including Stoke-on-Trent, Sandbach, Sheffield, Glasgow, Crawley, and London, Environmental Essentials employs over 230 people and provides asbestos management, training and surveying, water and air hygiene to businesses, local authorities and public sector organisations. Clients include the Houses of Parliament, tier one construction companies, NHS Trusts, high street food retailers and pub operators. Richard Powner and James Riley co-founded the business in 2004, with Alex Sleeth joining the business in 2018 as Executive Chairman to head up development strategy and lead on the company’s ‘buy and build’ programme.

Beswicks Legal and Dains Accountants advised Environmental Essentials on the acquisition. DJP Legal advised Callidus.