Obsequio Group expansion continues, with acquisition of two more compliance companies

Obsequio Group has added two further compliance specialists to its expanding portfolio, with the acquisition this week of Metro Safety Group and Dakro Air and Water. The purchases will enable Obsequio to add new services to its portfolio, extend its geographical reach and increase its penetration in the healthcare, housing association, facilities management and industrial sectors.

The acquisitions mean Obsequio can now offer full national coverage across the UK for a broader range of services.

The addition of fire, health and safety and environmental consultancy, air compliance and more complex water commissioning capabilities to the group’s existing expertise provide a more attractive proposition for public and private sector clients.

Metro Safety has been offering consultancy and testing services, fire risk assessments, fire safety and maintenance, water safety, asbestos risk management, environmental services and health and safety compliance for the past three decades to clients in the housing, facilities management, retail, education and leisure sectors.

The company, whose fire safety division carries out more than 8,000 compliance activities a month and is the preferred provider to over 20,000 properties across the UK, has a strong London base which will enable Obsequio to increase its scope in the capital, the home counties and across the UK.

Dakro’s portfolio of air quality compliance services includes ductwork cleaning, fire damper testing and air quality monitoring, and its more complex water commission capabilities make it a perfect complement to Obsequio Group’s existing water and energy compliance specialist Genex.

Dakro has specific strength in the FM, healthcare and industrial sectors, providing the wider Obsequio group opportunities to offer complementary compliance services to new clients in these industries.

Metro Group managing director Ian Simcott and his senior leadership team and Dakro chairman Trevor Field and fellow shareholders will remain with the businesses.

Obsequio group chairman Simon Cashmore said: “We’re delighted to welcome Metro and Dakro into the growing Obsequio family. Both companies share the same vision and ethos as the wider group.

“Their acquisition will strengthen our ability to offer a range of related services to new and existing customers and give them access to a cost-effective and timesaving one-stop-shop for all aspects of compliance – fire, security, water, energy, air quality, environmental compliance and electrical safety.

“It’s part of our committed buy-and-build strategy to widen our geographical reach, expand the range of sectors we support and increase the number of compliance services we can provide.”

Ian Simcott added: “Metro is a values-led business and with Obsequio we have found a home which matches our values and will allow us to move forward together. We’re thrilled to have found our new home and are delighted to join the Obsequio family.”

Trevor Field added: “We are thrilled to be joining Obsequio whose stable of businesses offers a varied yet cohesive range of compliance services. The clout of a big player combined with the specialist and niche services we offer makes for a perfect partnership and we look forward to a strong future together.”

The two deals follow investment earlier this year from European financing specialist Kartesia. which, in partnership with Beech Tree Private Equity, provides additional fire power to the group’s buy-and-build mission.

Beech Tree Private Equity director Ben Cartwright said: “The additions of Metro and Dakro are a significant step forward in Obsequio’s aim to be the leading multi-disciplinary compliance services provider in the UK. We’re not done yet though, and hope to add further complementary services to the Group over the next 6-12 months”