OCU Group to acquire water sector specialist Northavon

London, 24 April 2023 – Triton V portfolio company OCU Group Limited (“OCU”), has entered into an agreement to acquire the Northavon Group of companies, including Northavon Group Limited, Northavon Holdings Limited, Northavon Water Services Limited, Hydrovein Limited, and Multivein Limited, along with their respective subsidiaries (together, “Northavon”). Completion of the acquisition is subject to regulatory clearance and is expected to occur in May 2023.

Northavon primarily operates in the water sector in the South of England and South Wales. It provides a broad range of value-add services to its clients including mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and civils design; construction and installation of clean and wastewater treatment facilities and sewage pumping stations; and maintenance services. Its clients include a number of water utility companies including South West Water, Thames Water, Wessex Water and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water.  It also has divisions focusing on highways and groundworks.

The acquisition will support OCU’s growth across the water and wastewater sector as the Group continues to expand in water and energy-related opportunities. The deal will also give OCU a stronger regional presence across the South West of England.

Northavon marks the sixth and largest acquisition in just over 12 months for OCU. It follows the acquisition of Modus, a London-based multi-utility specialist, InICT, a Leeds-based fibre-optic specialist, Opals, a regional multi utilities hub, Andrews Associates, a Surrey-based power systems design and engineering service, and FKS, a Wigan-based telecom installation service.

Mike Clancy, Group Managing Director of Northavon, said: “We are absolutely committed to providing our clients with the most comprehensive and dynamic capital project and maintenance support available. With less than two years to go until AMP8, we have huge potential to streamline ways of working to create an environment that both meets regulatory requirements and gives the best service for our customers.

“OCU is focused on growing across water and energy-related sectors to increase its expertise and support societal and environmental goals. We’re excited to now be part of the Group that shares our commitment to a greener and cleaner future and look forward to seeing what projects we can deliver together.”

Adrian O’Sullivan, Managing Director of OCU Utility Services, added: “The experience and expertise Northavon has across the water space is both impressive and exciting. As we head towards Net Zero, it will be great to merge our teams, share learnings and inspire each other as we solve the challenges facing the industry.”