Mon, 15 Jun 2026 | BUSINESS SALE
One of the UK’s largest ground engineering contractors has been taken private following the completion of its acquisition by a European construction giant. STRABAG UK, the UK arm of STRABAG, an Austria-headquartered international technology group for the built environment, has acquired Van Elle Holdings plc in a deal worth £58.8 million.
According to STRABAG UK, the acquisition of Van Elle will strengthen its national expertise, while increasing value creation across building and infrastructure projects for both existing and future clients.
With Van Elle boasting an established market position as one of the UK’s leading ground engineering and geotechnical specialists, the acquisition is seen as creating attractive opportunities when combined with STRABAG’s capabilities in civil engineering, as well as its existing ground engineering offering.
Simon Wild, Managing Director at STRABAG UK, said: “This acquisition is part of our growth strategy in the UK and enables us to combine STRABAG’s broad resources and expertise with Van Elle’s vast knowledge and wealth of experience in ground engineering and geotechnical specialism.”
STRABAG UK initially agreed a recommended cash offer for the firm of 52.3 pence per share in April. The court sanctioned the scheme of arrangement last week, under section 899 of the Companies Act, which has now become effective.
The deal has now completed, with STRABAG UK acquiring the entire company after the majority of shareholders voted in favour of the transaction. All of Van Elle’s non-executive directors, comprising Frank Nelson, David Hurcomb and Charles St John, have resigned from the board.
The cancellation of the admission to trading of Van Elle Shares on AIM is set to be effective from 07:00am on June 16, 2026.
Upon the initial announcement of the deal, Van Elle chairman Frank Nelson said: "Formed in 1984, Van Elle is one of the UK's largest specialist geotechnical engineering contractors. Across its diverse end markets including residential and housing, infrastructure and regional construction, the Van Elle Group is proud to have delivered over 1,000 projects over the previous financial year.”
"Van Elle's life as a quoted company is a short part of that history, however a period containing some significant global events. While strongly positioned in a number of key markets, broader sector and macro-economic issues have impacted value creation opportunities.”
"Given the ongoing cycle, the Van Elle board believes that the offer not only represents a significant premium, it also provides shareholders with the certainty of cash consideration and Van Elle's customer base with a supportive sector specialist owner focused on developing its product offering.”
In the year to April 30 2025, Van Elle Holdings plc reported underlying revenue of around £130.5 million, down from close to £139.1 million a year earlier, while underlying operating profit fell from £6.9 million to approximately £5.5 million.
Read more about the trends shaping M&A in the UK's civil engineering sector
This well-established plastering company boasts an impressive reputation and a robust order book, with 90% of its work focused on lucrative commercial projects.
This award-winning independent architectural and planning consultancy provides a rare opportunity to acquire a long-established business with a sterling reputation and a robust client base, particularly in the public sector.
This long-established London-based window replacement and refurbishment company presents a unique opportunity to acquire a reputable entity with years of industry experience and an award-winning team.
Please choose your settings for this site below. For more information please read our Cookie Policy
These cookies are necessary for our website to function properly and provide you with access to all features.
These are analytics cookies that help us to improve the way our website works.
These are used to improve the functional performance of the website and make it easier for you to use.