Acquisition of The Energy Solutions Group

RNS Number : 7850N

SSE PLC

31 July 2014

 



SSE plc

ACQUISITION OF THE ENERGY SOLUTIONS GROUP

SSE plc has completed the acquisition of The Energy Solutions Group Topco Limited (ESG), a Manchester-based designer and provider of energy management solutions, from Bridgepoint Development Capital, for an enterprise value and total cash consideration of £66m with the potential for a further £6m if agreed targets are achieved.

ESG has traded for almost 20 years and employs around 340 people.  It works with private and public sector customers to identify improvements in their management of energy consumption; and to install, maintain and support building management systems and solutions that support this.  ESG can typically save its customers around 20% to 30% of their energy consumption. 

The acquisition of ESG complements and enhances SSE's services in competitive markets for industrial and commercial customers.  As stated in SSE's financial results statement in May, these services - including electrical and mechanical contracting, lighting services, private energy networks and telecoms - are being brought together in an 'Enterprise' division to meet the energy and related needs of such customers in an enhanced and co-ordinated way.

The existing management team at ESG will lead this business, which will continue to trade as The Energy Solutions Group.   SSE believes that it will benefit from the commitment of the ESG management team and other employees to delivering effective energy management solutions for the benefit of customers and the environment.  It is expected to earn annual operating profit of over £10m within five years, in addition to the commercial synergies that it will bring to SSE's Enterprise division.

Jim McPhillimy, SSE's Managing Director, Enterprise, said:

"Managing energy costs and environmental impact are big priorities for businesses and other organisations.  As a responsible company focused on the long term, we believe it is in SSE's interests to make the consumption of energy more sustainable.  ESG is a leading provider of energy management solutions and these will be offered to SSE's existing and potential new customers as part of a significantly increased presence in the growing business-to-business market for energy services.

"This market will be increasingly important in the next few years, and SSE's programme to dispose of assets and businesses that are not core to its future plans is designed to enable the company to make a success of those opportunities which are, such as energy services. The disposal programme is well under way and we expect to report substantive progress in the autumn." 

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