Palatine-backed Construction Testing Solutions (CTS), a provider of construction consulting and testing services, has completed the acquisition of Silkstone Environmental Limited (SEL), a multi-disciplined consultancy specialising in minerals and waste management planning & permitting, site investigation, environmental monitoring and surveying.
Based in Sheffield, Silkstone Environmental employs 12 staff and operates across the UK. Founded in 2000, the company is a well-established planning consultancy and environmental monitoring business providing a variety of solutions to the quarry, landfill and civil engineering sectors. The deal continues CTS’ ambitious growth strategy and follows the acquisition of CGL Limited in November 2020, and Nicholls Colton Group in February 2021. The Silkstone acquisition will allow CTS to enhance its existing capabilities and further strengthen its offering by extending its environmental, landfill, quarry monitoring and permit planning consultancy capabilities.
Phil Coles, Chief Executive Officer of CTS, says: “This latest acquisition supports our overall growth strategy and focus on delivering market leading construction testing solutions to our clients. It further strengthens our position in the UK construction testing and environmental monitoring markets and provides numerous synergies and opportunities that benefit both CTS, SEL and our clients. Both myself and the business are excited about working with Mark and Jill Barrett and welcoming the Silkstone team to the CTS Group; our businesses are stronger together, bringing greater capability and scale to our existing offering and providing significant future growth opportunities. This acquisition complements the CGL, and Nicholls Colton deals announced in November and February respectively, and reinforces our commitment to growth in attracting market leading talent and capability to our business.”
Silkstone’s former owner and managing director Mark Barrett is remaining with the business. With headquarters in Leicester and a nationwide network of 16 laboratories and offices, offering a wide range of construction consulting and testing services. CTS supports all sectors of the construction market including residential, commercial, rail, road, airports, tunnelling, mining, and utilities as well as brownfield regeneration.
Tom Hustler, Investment Manager at Palatine Private Equity, says: “Silkstone has a great reputation in the market-place and will add depth and scale to CTS’ capabilities in line with its growth strategy. It’s fantastic to be able to support another acquisition as we build an industry-leading nationwide construction testing business alongside Phil and the management team.”
