Global engineering company Arcadis has bought the Australian environmental remediation business, Environmental Strategies.
Arcadis Managing Director Environment and Project Services, Malcolm McDowall described the purchase as an important strategic acquisition.
"Globally we are a leader in environmental remediation work but until now have lacked some of the deep skills required here on the ground in Australia," McDowall said.
"Environmental Strategies will immediately provide Arcadis with the local capacity and capability to deliver significant remediation projects and meet our client’s needs. The Australian market for environmental remediation is worth several billion dollars, so it presents a huge growth opportunity for us.”
Environmental Strategies currently holds an estimated market share of around five per cent, specialising in environmental investigations, contaminated land remediation, environmental management and environmental auditing.
Rod Harwood, Managing Director of Environmental Strategies, said the environmental remediation market in Australia has grown rapidly due to contaminated land and water becoming a significant issue. One example is firefighting foam containing the toxic chemicals perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) that have leaked into water supplies and contaminated drinking water and local food sources.
"Joining Arcadis will allow us to add even more value to our current clients and grow into new and exciting markets,” said Harwood.
“Contaminated water and land is one of the biggest issues facing Australian urban and infrastructure development,” said McDowall.
“Much of the land that is planned to be redeveloped over the next decade was previously heavy industry and is often contaminated with dangerous chemicals. The Environmental Strategies team joining Arcadis will help us implement solutions and continue to improve the quality of life for Australians."
[Environmental Strategies MD Rod Harwood (left) with Arcadis's Malcolm McDowall. Plhoto: Arcadis]
Infrastructure will be a major topic of discussion at the Australian Engineering Conference 2016 in Brisbane on November 23-25.