Rossmore Group – the Solihull-based management consultancy which earlier this year proved instrumental in a deal saving 200 manufacturing jobs – has been snapped up by design specialist Arup.
In May Rossmore, which employs 30 consultants at its base on the Blythe Valley Business Park, received an award from the Management Consultancies Association and Management Today for its work which led to fastener manufacturer Infast reversing a decision to off-shore production.
Arup, which already employs 500 at its office in Birmingham, has now increased its 64 per cent stake in Rossmore to 100 per cent for an undisclosed sum.
The company says the acquisition forms part of growth plans for its business consulting division.
Of Arup’s 7,000 staff worldwide, over 350 are already involved in business consulting, with services ranging from IT strategy, transactions advice, economics advice, project management, industrial performance consulting and asset management. Arup and Rossmore Group have identified a number of new initiatives they intend to launch following the integration, such as ‘design for people’ and ‘workplace performance’.
Alan Belfield, director at Arup, said: "The introduction of human and organisational performance consulting into our management consulting portfolio comes at a time when our clients are demanding solutions that put people at the heart of design and business activities.
"Rossmore Group has won consecutive awards for its work in helping companies across multiple industries to get the best out of people and operations.
"We see significant opportunities introducing their understanding of human behaviour into improving the design of buildings, in the performance of transport systems, and specifically in offering people performance as a service to our many major business clients."
Alan Marsden, Rossmore Group chief executive, added: "We are delighted to be joining Arup.
"The business and technical world is now waking up to the fact that people and their behaviour are the most critical aspects of any operation. Our psychologists, behaviourists and operations experts understand what it takes to make people perform to their full potential." – or in the case of the built environment, to use systems more responsibly, safely and efficiently."
"Initial studies suggest there are synergies between us to deliver innovative and value-added solutions for both sets of clients."
Rossmore Group will continue to operate under its own name in the short term. steve_pain@mrn.co.uk
