LONDON, September 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ —

Mott MacDonald has acquired its UK water industry design and build joint venture partner Bentley Holdings Ltd (including its subsidiary company JN Bentley Ltd). The move is a natural progression in the highly successful 15-year partnership between the companies through the joint venture Mott MacDonald Bentley.

JN Bentley employs over 700 people with a turnover of £120million. Over 80% of its business is derived through Mott MacDonald Bentley, set up in 1999 to operate as a wholly integrated, co-located joint venture by combining all facets of design, programme management, site investigation and construction in one organisation. The partnership was formed specifically to deliver long-term, high-volume programmes of projects for the UK’s water companies throughout the industry’s rolling five-year Asset Management Plan (AMPs). Since initial contracts for AMP3, MMB has grown substantially through AMPs 4 and 5, leading to new and extended appointments as AMP6 delivery partner for Yorkshire Water, Severn Trent Water, Anglian Water, United Utilities and Welsh Water.

Both MMB and JNB have won multiple industry and client awards for safety, innovation, client satisfaction, training and employee development. MMB has earned particular recognition for its approach to driving quality and value, especially by developing the time- and cost-saving benefits of process improvement, productisation and batch procurement, and delivering solutions using its own resources. This next stage in the longstanding relationship will allow further development to enhance project delivery for clients, at the same time maintaining the shared ethos and culture that have been a hallmark of the partnership’s success since 1999.

Mott MacDonald chairman Keith Howells said: “We are immensely pleased to welcome Bentley into the Group as a natural next step for our partnership. The delivery model we have forged with our water industry clients continues to help them maximise value for their operations and their stakeholders – now we’re looking forward to using our collective ingenuity to achieve ever greater benefits across the triple bottom line of social, economic and environmental value.”

Paul Bentley, managing director of JN Bentley said: “Joining Mott MacDonald will benefit our clients and also offers fantastic opportunities for the employees of both companies. The longstanding success of the joint venture is because we share the same culture and principles. Becoming part of the Mott MacDonald Group will allow us to develop further to meet the challenges we face and ensure we continue to deliver a first class service for all our new and existing clients.”

Notes for editors:

JN Bentley

JN Bentley was formed in 1972 in Skipton, North Yorkshire and now operates from eight centres in central, eastern and northern England. The company has maintained the core principle that undertaking work with its own people and plant delivers the greatest value to the clients. Throughout its history JN Bentley has operated in both the building and civil engineering markets for Local Authorities and clients such as Yorkshire Water, Severn Trent Water, Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, Environment Agency, The Coal Authority, Procter and Gamble and Rolls Royce.

Throughout the process JN Bentley was advised by Deloitte and Gordons LLP.

Mott MacDonald

Mott MacDonald (http://www.mottmac.com) is a diverse £1.2 billion global management, engineering and development consultancy. As one of the world’s largest employee-owned companies with over 16,000 staff, we have 180 offices in nearly 50 countries and projects in 140.

Our 2000-strong water consultancy operates across all sectors of the water industry, for all types of clients. Services include the investigation and development of water resources, the assessment of water needs and implementation of appropriate supplies, and the treatability and disposal of wastewater.

Recent water sector projects include:

Euclid Creek Storage Tunnel, US – we are prime consultant and designer on the US$200M project that will protect Lake Erie by preventing combined sewer overflows.

Tsuen Wan new town stormwater tunnels, Hong Kong – safeguarding communities against flash floods

River axe flood risk modelling, UK – investigating flood risk to critical infrastructure and communities in the River Axe catchment area and propose solutions to improve resilience.

Kusile water treatment plant, South Africa – we’re leading engineering, procurement and construction of world- leading water treatment facilities for a giant new 4.8GW power station.

Cleaner seas for Sussex, UK – engineering consultant for this 15 year, £300M environmental scheme which was named Major Civil Engineering Project of the Year at the 2013 British Construction Industry Awards.

Niagara tunnel, Canada – providing concept design and construction management on a project to supply more water from the Niagara River to an upgraded hydroelectric station.

Mumbai IV water supply and sewerage systems, India – we are delivering India’s largest ever water transmission and treatment system, and designing wastewater collection and treatment for the 75% of the population (9.2M people) currently unconnected

Covenham to Boston transfer pipeline, UK – we designed and supervised construction of a 60km long, 27Ml/day capacity water supply system needed to assure resilience and meet future needs.

Nara canal, Pakistan – we designed and supervised construction for the rehabilitation of the vast Nara Canal, to improve the irrigation infrastructure serving 52,000sq km of farmland in Sindh province.

Media enquiries:

Mott MacDonald

Tom Smith +44(0)7980-689-212 / +44(0)20-8774-2205 / tom.smith@mottmac.com
Lee Lodge +44(0)20-8774-2040 / lee.lodge@mottmac.com

JN Bentley

Martin Bentley or John Greenwood +44(0)1756-799425

SOURCE Mott MacDonald