CONSTRUCTION materials group GRS has acquired start-up ground stabilisation and enabling works contractor Soil Science Ltd in a multi-million pound deal.
The bolt-on acquisition is said to complement GRS’s portfolio of contracting services for the construction industry, which includes enabling works, earthworks, civil engineering and land remediation.
With a turnover of more than £6 million, Berkshire-based Soil Science has pioneered a ‘low carbon, zero waste and easily reversible’ soil treatment for temporary construction works such as compounds, access roads, piling mats and crane pads.
Known as Sureground, the inert soil treatment system is designed to reduce the need for contractors to move large volumes of materials off and onto site during temporary enabling works. The solution is described as ‘ideal’ for infrastructure works such as power, water, rail and data networks that need to go across farmland and nature-sensitive landscapes.
Jon Fisher, GRS chief executive, said, “Soil Science is a dynamic business that’s disrupting the soil stabilisation sector with a proven and cost-effective turnkey solution. We’re hugely impressed by Sureground as a more sustainable alternative to traditional techniques for stabilising ground. Soil Science fits well with other activities in our Integrated Solutions division and we’re excited about growing this business together.”
Bill Hinge, founder of Soil Science Ltd, added, “We are delighted to be joining the GRS group. The deal gives us financial stability and gives Sureground great credibility in our sector. This means that our customers can have greater confidence in our capacity and capability to support major infrastructure projects in the long term.”
