logo
Nottingham-based Phenna Group acquires Co. Antrim construction materials testing firm

Nottingham-based Phenna Group acquires Co. Antrim construction materials testing firm

Irish Posta day ago
PHENNA GROUP, the Nottingham-based testing, inspection, certification and compliance (TICC) company, has acquired Co. Antrim firm Construction Testing Services.
The deal is Phenna Group's 11th acquisition of 2025 as it continues its aim of building a strong, geographically diverse network of TICC firms.
The Co. Antrim company will now be incorporated into Simtec, one of Phenna Group's specialist materials testing businesses.
"Construction Testing Services is a strong strategic addition to our Infrastructure Division," said Stuart Abbs of Phenna Group.
"Their technical capability, well-regarded brand and regional strength in Northern Ireland align well with Simtec's growth ambitions.
"We're confident that together, they will create even greater value for our customers and continue to deliver industry-leading standards of service." 'Great potential'
Founded in 2006 in Antrim town, Construction Testing Services provide independent and accredited construction materials testing services in Britain and Ireland.
With a well-established presence in Northern Ireland, the business has built a reputation for delivering high-quality testing services across a wide range of projects.
The firm's technical expertise, commitment to customer service and in-depth local knowledge make it a key addition to Phenna Group's Infrastructure Division.
Roy Browne and Michael Craig, Directors of Construction Testing Services, said the deal represented great potential for the company.
"We're incredibly proud of what we've achieved to date and are excited about this next chapter as we join Phenna Group and become part of Simtec," they said.
"From our first discussions, it was clear that our values were closely aligned, and we see great potential in combining our strengths to continue delivering excellent service to our clients across Ireland and beyond." 'Perfect complement'
The acquisition of Construction Testing Services continues Simtec's recent expansion, folllowing the opening of new locations in London and East Anglia earlier this year.
Chris Simmons, Simtec MD, believes the regional knowledge and reputation of Construction Testing Solutions in Northern Ireland will aid Simtec's growth plans.
"We are very pleased to welcome Roy, Michael and their team into Simtec," he said.
"Their expertise and strong local presence in Northern Ireland are a perfect complement to our recent growth in London and East Anglia.
"This acquisition significantly enhances our geographic reach and gives us the platform to better support clients across the region with high-quality, responsive testing services."
See More: Antrim, Construction Testing Services, Phenna Group, Simtec
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Taoiseach warns trade ban on Israeli settlements could hit Irish companies under US anti-boycott laws
Taoiseach warns trade ban on Israeli settlements could hit Irish companies under US anti-boycott laws

The Journal

time14 hours ago

  • The Journal

Taoiseach warns trade ban on Israeli settlements could hit Irish companies under US anti-boycott laws

TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said the government must tread carefully when considering the expansion of its proposed trade ban with Israeli settlements, stressing that including services could inadvertently harm Irish-based multinational companies due to US anti-boycott legislation. His comments come after Tánaiste Simon Harris last week published a fresh outline of the Occupied Territories Bill, which seeks to prohibit the import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements. The bill will affect imports from the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights – territories occupied since 1967 and widely recognised under international law as illegally held. While the current draft focuses on goods only, Harris has signalled that he wants to include services in a future version of the bill. However, Martin expressed concern about the legal and economic risks of doing so. 'That's an issue we have to factor in, because we don't want any companies or multinationals in Ireland inadvertently being caught up in this,' he said, referring to US anti-boycott laws. Martin made the comments today during a visit to Japan. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'We do have to factor in the presence of American legislation, the boycotting divestment legislation, which is already passed by numerous states in America, which would penalise any company that, from an American perspective, participates in boycotts.' Martin said that several US states have passed anti-Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) laws, which penalise companies seen as boycotting Israel or Israeli-controlled areas. More than 30 US states have passed so-called anti-BDS laws that penalise companies or entities seen to be boycotting Israel or Israeli-controlled territories. These laws often apply regardless of whether the boycott targets Israel itself or the settlements specifically – something Martin said poses a risk of misinterpretation. 'Whilst we're just involved in the Occupied Territories, not Israel as a country, there's a concerted campaign in terms of misrepresenting the Irish position, so that's an issue we have to factor in,' Martin said. Advertisement Martin also addressed criticism that the government is backing away from the moral argument in favour of protecting economic interests. 'It's not commercial, like it's putting bread and butter on people's table,' he said, noting the presence of 'hundreds of thousands' of jobs in Ireland linked to multinational employers. 'The object of the exercise here is to put pressure on Israel, not to disadvantage Ireland unduly and that's a factor.' The Taoiseach acknowledged the symbolic importance of the legislation, but said it was important to be 'clear-eyed' about its potential impact. 'There's no point in Ireland coming out worse if it has no impact on Israel. That's the only point I'm making, we have to be clear-eyed in terms of the impact. People should know about the impact.' He also raised practical concerns about how a ban on services would even be enforced. 'How do you actually detect, how do you punish the offence, the practicalities around all of that. Those are real and the bill is fundamentally symbolic, it's important.' The Occupied Territories Bill, first introduced in 2018, proposed banning the import and sale of goods and services originating in illegal settlements, as well as the extraction of resources from those areas. The revised version of the bill, now known as the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill, would criminalise only the importation of goods, under the Customs Act 2015. Services are not currently covered, though Tánaiste Simon Harris has said he is seeking further legal advice and wants to bring services into scope where possible. 'There isn't another country in the European Union that you can visit today and ask a government minister about their bill to ban trade and the detail of it, because they don't have one,' Harris said last Wednesday. 'Ireland is leading – but we have to do this properly.' The bill is expected to go before an Oireachtas committee for pre-legislative scrutiny later this year. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal

Dublin engineering firm acquired by German group
Dublin engineering firm acquired by German group

Irish Examiner

timea day ago

  • Irish Examiner

Dublin engineering firm acquired by German group

German engineering firm Dussmann has announced it will acquire Dublin-based Lynskey Engineering for an undisclosed sum. Dussmann is a multi-service provider of solutions across various fields, including integrated facility management, food services, and technical plant and systems engineering. It is the largest division of the Dussmann Group, an international company that has 70,000 employees in 21 countries. The group generated annual sales of about €3.3bn last year. The acquisition is subject to approval by the Irish antitrust authorities and is expected to be completed over the coming months. Lynskey, which was established in 1964, is a specialist mechanical engineering services provider, which has operations across Ireland, the UK, and mainland Europe. It has a wide range of blue chip clients in the commercial, data centre, healthcare, retail and energy sectors. During its latest financial year, it had a reported turnover of about €60m. The existing employees of Lynskey will be unaffected by the transaction. The senior management team of Lynskey, including its managing director Sean McElligott, will remain in their existing roles after the acquisition goes through. Mr McElligott said this deal was an 'excellent opportunity for both our clients and employees'. 'Our clients will continue to enjoy the same level of superior service provided by our team, delivering complex technical mechanical projects within time and on budget, and post-acquisition will also benefit from the increased scale and service capability we can offer as part of the group,' he said. Dussmann Technical Solutions division was established in May 2019 and has already made a number of other acquisitions, including the STS Group, which is based in Waterford. The company said the acquisition of Lynskey adds to the existing portfolio 'in-house capabilities and brings for the first time the ability to self-perform specialist mechanical services'. Dussmann Group chief executive Wolf-Dieter Adlhoch said the goal with the acquisitions was to 'establish and expand our range of engineering services for clients with complex technical demands and mission critical systems in the industrial, energy and data centre sectors.' Read More Cork-headquartered Adapt IT acquired by Ekco

Cork-headquartered Adapt IT acquired by Ekco
Cork-headquartered Adapt IT acquired by Ekco

Irish Examiner

timea day ago

  • Irish Examiner

Cork-headquartered Adapt IT acquired by Ekco

Cork-headquartered Adapt IT has been acquired by managed service provider Ekco. The new deal, which marks Ekco's sixth acquisition in two years, brings its total acquisition investment to €57m in that period. Operating for more than 20 years, Adapt IT employs 37 people at its Cork headquarters and specialises in SME services. Its 300-strong customer base operates in industries such as manufacturing, retail, hospitality, legal, and finance. The acquisition of Adapt IT brings Ekco's global headcount to more than 1,000 employees and adds a seventh Irish location to its growing regional network. In addition to its three sites in Dublin, Ekco now operates in Cork, Waterford, and Laois, as well as across the UK, Netherlands, South Africa, and Malaysia. The deal is the latest in Ekco's wider acquisition strategy for growth and brings the total number of businesses acquired by Ekco in the last two years to six. Earlier this year, the company announced the purchase of Predatech, a UK-based cybersecurity consultancy. In 2024, it added UK legal IT specialist CTS to its portfolio of companies. The year before saw the additions of MSPs Radius and Bluecube, as well as cloud migration and cybersecurity specialist iSystems. Cian Prendergast, CEO at Ekco MSP, said: 'The acquisition of Adapt IT is the latest move in our aggressive expansion strategy which targets key acquisitions combined with sustained business growth. "This strategy reflects an investment in innovation that will make us in Ekco, and our acquired companies, stronger as a result. We're building a modern, security-first MSP that helps ambitious businesses to operate with confidence and resilience." John Levis, Managing Director at Adapt IT, said: 'We are delighted to join the Ekco group, an Irish-founded business which is on an impressive growth trajectory. This will enable us to continue to deliver top-tier services to businesses, backed up by the skills and resources of a larger group.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store