4:54pm Tuesday 7th September 2010
A SPECIALIST Radcliffe water industry company has been bought out by a Preston-based contractor and developer.
Lancashire contractors and developers the Eric Wright Group is expanding its civil engineering division by buying Site Electrical Limited (SE), which supplies a range of mechanical and electrical installations to the water industry.
The three offices and all the staff of SE will be incorporated within the water sector of Eric Wright Civil Engineering (EWCE).
Site Electrical, which has its headquarters in Milltown Street, Radcliffe, and has a £7 million annual turnover, is a privately owned company set up by Tom Murphy 29 years ago.
It built up its business initially by providing electrical services — such as submersible pump and generator hire — to the tunnelling industry.
It has since expanded into the installation and maintenance of all types of electrical and mechanical equipment used in the water industry, with a speciality in pumping stations, as well as a wide range of mechanical and electrical installations to private and public bodies.
Mr Murphy will be staying with the company as a marketing consultant and the rest of the group, including the 69 staff in Radcliffe, 16 in Severn Trent and seven in Dumfries and Galloway, will continue to operate under the Site Electrical name.
EWCE, which has worked for United Utilities for eight years, recently signed a two-year extension to its minor capital maintenance framework in the North West.
Over the past 29 years, Site Electrical has installed, repaired and currently maintains thousands of pumping station facilities for water utility companies, local authorities, private bodies, landfill sites, land development and construction companies.
Its services include project design, installation and commissioning through to ongoing pumping station maintenance and management.
Managing director of EWCE John Saddington said: “The integration of the two companies provides a total package of mechanical, electrical and civil engineering services to all clients.
“We are extremely excited about the future and look forward to further enhancing our first-class all-round service within the water industry.”
Mr Murphy said: “Eric Wright has been a client of ours for more than 10 years and it has become apparent we share a similar vision to clients and staff alike.
“Following an initial approach and after much consideration, I decided that it would be a positive move for Site Electrical to become an independent part of EWCE.
“It will enable us to accelerate our planned growth and expansion of our business that is already under way. My management team, staff and I see this as a very positive move and we look forward to the future.”
The Eric Wright Group, also a private company, employs 250 people at its offices at Bamber Bridge, near Preston, and Bowness-on-Windermere.
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