Loughrea-based Glanua, a leading Irish water and wastewater engineering company has acquired UK-based industrial operations and maintenance firm Aqua Operations as it continues to expand its operations in both Ireland and the UK.
The financial details of the sale remain undisclosed, but the acquisition will significantly enhance Glanua’s capacity to scale its industrial division business and increase its presence in the UK’s water and wastewater industry.
The acquisition comes after Glanua recently announced it had received significant funding from Rabobank to support its continuing expansion.
The deal aligns with Glanua’s commitment to expand its industrial operations and maintenance services, an area in which the company has considerable expertise in Ireland. It also grows Glanua’s workforce to 546.
Glanua is already an industry leader in providing innovative and sustainable engineering solutions to design, build and deliver critical water and wastewater infrastructure across UK and Ireland.
By integrating Aqua Operations’ capabilities, Glanua will enhance its service offering, delivering comprehensive engineering solutions to a broader client base in both the UK and Ireland.
Following the transaction, Aqua Operations will continue to trade under its current name, and its founder Jon Waller will remain in a leading role within the business. There will be no impact on existing jobs in either Glanua or Aqua Operations, with both parties planning to continue expanding their operations and headcount.
Bradford-based Aqua Operations currently employs 40 staff and has experienced remarkable growth since its inception in 2020. It has achieved revenues of £15 million within just four years and more than doubled its business in the past year alone.
The business is renowned for its expertise in the operation and maintenance of water and wastewater systems, serving a diverse client base across the UK, including key clients such as Unilever, First Milk, and Greencore.
On foot of the acquisition, Aqua Operations will look to expand and enhance its capabilities and offer new integrated design and build services alongside its existing operations and maintenance and technical support services for water and wastewater solutions.
This new purchase follows a period of significant growth for Glanua in the past 12 months following the rebranding of the company from BHSL to Glanua in July 2023.
At the time of the rebranding, BHSL, now Glanua Group LTD, was the holding company for Glan Agua Ireland, Glan Agua UK, Hydro International and MEIC. Under the new rebranded and integrated identity, these companies were renamed to Glanua Ireland, Glanua UK, Glanua Industrial and Glanua Civils respectively.
Total revenue in Glanua amounted to €97m in 2022 and increased to €150 million in 2023. The Group’s long-term strategic plan is to grow turnover to €400 million by 2028.
The Group is undergoing significant expansion and recently opened four new offices across Ireland and the UK in Belfast, Cork, Reading and London.
Glanua currently employs 546 number of staff including the 42 based in Aqua Operations. Its headcount has grown by 232 since July 2023, as it exceeded its original recruitment target of 100 new staff for the year.
