Acquisition(s)

21 August 2008 Wood Group acquires Australian safety training business A subsidiary of international energy services company John Wood Group PLC ("Wood Group") has acquired Benchmark Global Pty Ltd, the Australian-registered parent company owning the Marine & Offshore Group Pty Ltd a provider of safety and emergency response training services to the international offshore, maritime and mining industries (M&O). M&O is currently active in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Kazakhstan and Nigeria and is in the process of setting up operations in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. M&O had revenues of US$9.0 million and EBIT of US$1.2 million for the year ended 30 June 2007, and a gross asset value at that date of US$8.3 million. M&O will retain its trading names and continue to be led by Rick Parish, Chief Executive & Managing Director. M&O employs approximately 200 personnel and will operate within Wood Group's Engineering & Production Facilities division. "The acquisition of M&O will expand our provision of safety training to oil & gas clients around the world", said Les Thomas, Group Director responsible for Wood Group's Production Facilities activities. "M&O has an excellent track record of supporting the needs of major clients from its nine current training facilities and can offer a rapid response to emerging needs utilising its OPITO approved mobile training centres. We see their services as complementary to and supportive of our international expansion plans." "We are delighted to be joining Wood Group," said Rick Parish, Chief Executive & Managing Director of M&O. "The ability to leverage Wood Group's international infrastructure and client base provides M&O with significant potential for growth. We look forward to working with Wood Group to create a leading global safety, emergency response and crisis management company servicing the oil & gas industry." -ends- Note to editors Wood Group is an international energy services company with approximately $5.0bn sales, employing approximately 26,000 people worldwide and operating in 46 countries. The Group has three businesses - Engineering & Production Facilities, Well Support, and Gas Turbine Services - providing a range of engineering, production support, maintenance management and industrial gas turbine overhaul and repair services to the oil & gas, and power generation industries worldwide. Wood Group Engineering & Production Facilities is a market leader in engineering design, construction management and project management services, providing 'life-of-field' engineering, including greenfield and brownfield engineering, production enhancement, operations and maintenance, and commissioning. With an extended range of engineering services in the design and operation of both offshore and onshore oil & gas production, transportation and processing facilities, E&PF provides value-added solutions that are fit-for-purpose and tailored for each client. M&O/ Benchmark Global Pty Ltd is the Australian registered parent company owning the Marine & Offshore Group Pty Ltd (`M&O') a provider of safety training services to the oil & gas, maritime and mining industries. Formed in 1997 and now employing 150 personnel, M&O has offices and training centres in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Kazakhstan and Nigeria. ISO 9001 series QA approved, all seven training centres are approved by the UK North Sea's OPITO organisation. For media enquiries please contact: Carolyn Good, Corporate Communications - Eastern Hemisphere, Wood Group Tel: +44 (0) 1224 851489, e-mail: carolyn.good@woodgroup.com
UK 100

Latest directors dealings