With offices in Milton Keynes and London, MBA is a multi-disciplinary consultancy specialising in delivering highly sustainable building solutions, particularly in the industrial and logistics sectors. Led by Nick Crewe, MBA employs approximately 60 staff, all of whom will continue to operate from their existing office locations. Since its inception in 1984, MBA has established itself as a leader in its field.

This latest deal follows Contollo Group’s acquisitions of building services engineering consultancy, TACE (https://contollogroup.com/contollo-announces-acquisition-of-engineering-consultancy-tace/) and cost management consultancy Abacus (https://contollogroup.com/new-building-consultancy-contollo-welcomes-abacus-as-groups-first-key-partnership/). This brings the Group’s headcount to 140 across 6 office locations.

Nick Crewe, Managing Director at MBA, commented: “Having been established as a leader in the industrial & logistics space for over 40 years, we wanted to find a partner who could help the business transition to the next stage. It was paramount that they would share our vision and had similar values and Contollo Group’s, ‘people first’ approach is consistent with our own.”

Ruth Percival, CEO of Contollo, said: “MBA really appealed to us as a business, due to its reputation and specialism in the industrial and logistics sector, a key area in which we see huge opportunity and potential for growth. Many distribution facilities are occupied by large, public-facing organisations with ambitious ESG goals. Contollo Group exists to help our clients achieve their Net Zero ambitions. Our growing capabilities make us the perfect construction partner for sustainable design and cost management. Moreover, these I&L facilities are large consumers of energy, meaning that some of the most innovative engineering developments are happening in this space.

“The health and well-being of employees who occupy these spaces is also increasingly important to occupiers, with many industrial sites being turned into great places of work, with gyms, retail and leisure facilities. Contollo can offer industry-leading solutions for air quality, lighting and thermal comfort. The demand for smart buildings has never been higher, and our team understands the security, connectivity and integration requirements for smart buildings to deliver best-in-class efficiency and user experience.”

Contollo Group has set out its ambition to acquire businesses in the North West, Midlands, and South East over the next five years as part of its ambitious growth programme.

For Contollo, Langtons provided corporate finance advisory, Chiara Pettinicchio provided client-side deal support, Alvarez & Marsal provided corporate finance advisory and project management, Cowgills provided financial and tax due diligence and Mills & Reeve provided legal support.

BP Collins and Convex Financial advised MBA. 

About MBA

Trading since 1984, MBA Consulting Engineers is an MEP consultancy specialising in the logistics and industrial sectors. Led by Nick Crewe, MBA employs approximately 60 people and operates from two locations: Milton Keynes (HQ) and London. Over the years, MBA has become a market leader in its field, offering services such as BREEAM certification and refrigeration engineering with in-house teams. Additionally, MBA uniquely utilises strategic relationships with two sprinkler design sub-contractors, enabling them to provide a seamless service for clients.

About NorthEdge

NorthEdge is a lower mid-market private equity firm headquartered in the North, owned, and built by its senior team, supported by a global blue chip investor base. They have £900m Assets Under Management across four regionally focused funds.

With presence across the North and Midlands, the NorthEdge team has a 25-year track record of investing in businesses with ambitious management teams and significant growth potential.

NorthEdge looks to invest in like-minded businesses and management teams who have real ambition and the potential to shape global markets from the UK regions. They back management teams in the Technology, Healthcare and Business Services sectors, who recognise the value of having an experienced business partner alongside them, supporting them to build a better business.