Jennings O’Donovan, the Irish multidisciplinary consulting engineering firm, has been acquired by the Cheshire-based RSK Group.
RSK Group, a global leader in the delivery of sustainable solutions, comprises over 200 companies, which employ over 12,000 people. Its annual turnover in 2022 was £796 million.
Jennings O’Donovan specialises in renewable energy, water supply, wastewater treatment and the provision of planning and environmental services. It was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Sligo with a workforce of 100, bringing RSK Group’s team in Ireland to over 600.
The terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed. All Jennings O’Donovan staff and management will remain in place following the acquisition. RSK’s acquisition adviser was Cortus Advisory Group.
Jennings O’Donovan’s clients include local authorities, water and power utilities, private developers and industries in Ireland and overseas. The primary markets it currently operates in include Ireland, the United Kingdom and Eastern Europe.
Projects by Jennings O’Donovan have included the award winning Meenadreen Wind Farm; Nysäter Wind Farm, Sweden; Lumcloon Battery Energy Storage Facility, Co Offaly; Lough Rynn International Rowing Course, Co Leitrim; the Carrick-on-Shannon to Battlebridge Blueway, Co Leitrim and Sligo GAA Centre of Excellence at Scarden.
Jennings O’Donovan’s workforce includes design engineers, planners, project managers, environmental scientists and resident engineers. With an annual turnover of €8.2 million, the consulting services provided by the company cover a broad range of sectors, including civil, structural and environmental engineering, health and safety, building and infrastructure, tourism and leisure amenity, water, wastewater, planning and the renewable energy sector.
Jennings O’Donovan Director David Kiely, who will continue to lead the business, said: “We are delighted to be joining the RSK Group and becoming part of the wider RSK family. This acquisition will see our staff and business continuing as normal while moving to new ownership within a larger organisation that will support our continued growth and development in line with our commitment to the principles of climate action and the low carbon economy.”
RSK Group Chief Executive Officer Alan Ryder said: “Jennings O’Donovan has enviable skills and experience in crucial sectors that are so important to RSK across the world and are key to our commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These include renewables, water and wastewater, planning and environment and building and infrastructure, to name just a few. In renewables alone, the business has a project portfolio extending to more than 2500 MW of power and it is a recognised market leader in wind energy development. When this portfolio is completed, total investment will extend to €3 billion in the wind energy sector.
“This acquisition is one that will play an important role in further strengthening our operations in the renewables, environmental and water sectors in particular but equally, Jennings O’Donovan’s experience and track record for delivery and service excellence in other sectors adds to our diversity and growth.”
