Mon, 24 Nov 2025 | BUSINESS SALE
Cheshire-based sustainable solutions group RSK has secured a major boost to its transport infrastructure offering with the acquisition of a leading civil engineering and electrification transport infrastructure business.
Reigate-based Octavius Infrastructure, which RSK has acquired from Sullivan Street Partners for an undisclosed sum, has more than 700 staff working across the highways and rail sectors. The firm has a number of longstanding customer relationships with key operators in the sector, including Network Rail, National Highways, and Transport for London.
In the year to March 31 2025, Octavius Infrastructure Limited reported turnover of close to £323 million, up from £276.6 million a year earlier, while operating profits rose from £4.6 million to £8.8 million.
The group has more than 30 frameworks in its portfolio, including a presence in every Network Rail region across England and Wales, frameworks with National Highways, the M25 Lifecycle and presences on local and regional authority transport frameworks across the UK.
Post-acquisition, Octavius will continue to be led by Chief Executive John Dowsett and the executive team, which includes Matt Smith and Gavin Pritchard, managing directors for the rail and highways sectors, respectively.
John Dowsett said that Octavius has expanded its “capabilities, reputation, revenue and profitability” under Sullivan Street Partners, with RSK feeling like “the natural long term home for us to continue our ambitious growth plans.”
He said that Octavius would retain its brand, and a strong level of autonomy, following the acquisition, while benefiting from the support and expertise within the wider RSK Group. He added that the firm has “a strong cultural fit with RSK, with complementary strengths”.
The acquisition is described as a pivotal step in the transport infrastructure sector for RSK, building on the group’s existing offering in a market that is seeing significant ongoing investment. In its most recent annual report, RSK revealed that infrastructure accounted for 14 per cent of its total revenue during the year and was its fastest growing business area, growing 36 per cent.
With the acquisition of Octavius Infrastructure, RSK positions itself as a highly strategic and scaled operator in the sector, with Tier 1 capabilities across rail and highways.
RSK founder and CEO Alan Ryder said: “Infrastructure is one of RSK’s core strategic growth markets and, in Octavius, we have found a large, well established business with a proven track record in safety-critical infrastructure delivery.”
“With many complementary businesses already in the group, we see significant opportunity for collaboration, further improving the value we can bring to our shared client base.”
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