WALLACE Whittle is marking the fifth anniversary of its return to UK ownership following its 2021 management buy out.
The firm, which has a legacy stretching back to 1964, was acquired from German organisation, TÜV SÜD, which it allowed it to reclaim its Scottish roots whilst also becoming the catalyst for rapid acceleration of the partner-led consultancy.
The Scottish headquartered business has undergone a significant transformation over the last five years – safeguarding a team of 80 and growing it to more than 200 specialists, increasing its turnover from £8 million to £20 million, and expanding its geographic footprint across the UK and Ireland.
MD Allan McGill, who started at the company as a trainee engineer in 1995, said, “It’s an incredibly proud moment, celebrating five years of outstanding growth and marking our 62 years of history. Our goal with the buy-out was return to what Wallace Whittle is at its core, while evolving how we operate in a modern market. We took our decades-old foundation of quality and re-engineered the business in 2021 to support much larger ambitions using organic, investment-led and acquisitional means. Today, we think like a major player but we act with the agility and personal touch of a boutique consultancy.”
A cornerstone of the five-year journey has been the launch of the Wallace Whittle Academy in 2022. In an industry facing a skills shortage, the firm made the strategic decision to grow its own talent, investing several million pounds into dedicated training.
The academy allows senior staff to transition into mentorship roles, while the firm’s head office subsidises the cost of staff aged under 25 for all regional offices, ensuring talent development is not hindered by budget constraints.
The transformation has also seen the firm expand its reach far beyond its heartlands in Scotland and Ireland. With new offices in Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester and huge growth of the London office, Wallace Whittle revealed it has transitioned into a national consultancy. Major investments have also been given to upgrade office infrastructure, boost sustainability services, and the creation of specialist teams.
Allan added, “A huge part of our success is down to the partnerships we have forged. We haven’t simply chased new clients – we’ve deepened our relationships with existing ones who have entrusted us with increasingly complex, high-value work.
“As we look towards 2030, our focus remains on staying a people-first, quality-driven business, while continuing to expand our UK-wide presence. With more expertise in-house, we are reducing outsourcing and positioning ourselves for the future, ensuring that as we scale, we never lose the excellence that the 1964 founders established.”
Project Scotland visited Wallace Whittle’s Glasgow headquarters in 2024 to hear about how healthy company culture has been key to its rapid growth. Click here to read the article.
