Sustainable design and engineering firm Stantec has acquired Hydrock, a 950-person integrated engineering design firm headquartered in Bristol.
Founded in 1995, Hydrock has a nationwide presence, with 22 UK locations and experience providing sustainable solutions for major projects across the country’s public and private sectors. The company has extensive capabilities in fire safety, energy and sustainability, civil and structural, transport, environmental and geotechnical services.
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The Hydrock acquisition will increase Stantec’s UK workforce by more than 30 per cent, while significantly bolstering its offering to the energy, buildings and infrastructure markets, as well as the wider built environment.
‘We look forward to welcoming the Hydrock team to Stantec,’ said Gord Johnston, Stantec’s president and CEO. ‘When combined with the strategic acquisitions of ZETCON and Morrison Hershfield, we will have grown our global workforce by more than 2,700 people within the first four months of 2024, further strengthening our offering in line with market demands.’
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‘The coming together of Stantec and Hydrock is an ambitious and compatible evolution for both our firms in the UK,’ said Cath Schefer, Stantec’s executive vice president and chief operating officer for global. ‘Hydrock provides us with a highly complementary line of services and expertise that only reinforces our UK offering. Our combined experience, knowledge and creativity, as well as our shared commitment to create better, more liveable places for people and communities, puts us in an exceptional position to deliver meaningful value for our industry-leading clients.’
By adding Hydrock’s workforce, Stantec will gain a range of additional built-environment expertise, notably in fire safety and energy. In recent years, both companies have made commitments to sustainable operations, purpose-driven design and engineering, and an inclusive culture.
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As the UK transitions to a low-carbon economy and the country’s requirements for future-proofed utilities, infrastructure and communities grow, the addition of Hydrock allows Stantec to diversify and expand its offering, while supporting positioning efforts for a range of transformative cross-sector projects and programmes.
‘Hydrock’s people are united by a shared purpose to be a force for good. I’m delighted that this aligns so well with Stantec’s culture,’ said Scott Elliott, managing director of Hydrock. ‘Through our integration, we’ll be able to expand our reach and influence internationally, penetrate exciting new markets and provide excellent new career opportunities for our people. Together, we’ll pioneer engineering solutions, drive energy resilience and support this country’s vital transition to a low-carbon economy.’
Hydrock’s portfolio of technical consulting experience focuses on building design and performance, energy and sustainability, climate adaptation and geo-environmental services. Standout projects include the delivery of the University of the West of England’s flagship Faculty of Engineering and Design building (pictured above); the engineering design of the UK’s greenest hospital, the Velindre Cancer Centre in Wales; acting as the lead consultant on an engineering-led master plan for Ashton Moss Innovation Park, one of the largest undeveloped sites in Greater Manchester; and supporting the redevelopment of Pitlochry Theatre, the largest of its kind in Scotland.