US operator moves to gain from globalisation through company rebranding
Major US facilities player, the Emcor Group, is eyeing possible acquisitions in the UK as part of global plans to develop its services provision.

The company recently re-branded its UK operation Drake & Scull Technical Services to become Emcor Facilities Services to raise awareness that it is part of the US$3.5bn turnover Emcor Group, and to reflect its expansion into soft as well as technical services.

Jeff Levy, chief executive officer of the group said it had looked at businesses including a cleaning company for possible acquisition.

'We are looking at businesses in the US and UK that embrace the soft services side...cleaning and building specific services,' he told TheFB.

Likely targets would be groups looking to sell parts of their business or independents looking to grow with the backing of a well-resourced parent.

Levy said: 'We are very good at technical services but many of our contracts are now looking at the broader scope of services and we've stepped up the range of our offering.'

Emcor Facilities Services managing director Robert Sharp said around 30 per cent of Emcor's contracts in the UK were for multiple-services. 'The market for support services has three main opportunities, which we intend to vigorously pursue: firstly to increase the sophistication and cost efficiency for traditional services and develop the possibilities for further service integration'.

The re-branding of the group, which operates throughout the US, Canada, Europe and South Africa and has 23,000 staff worldwide, also reflects its directors' view that customers are now showing more interest in providers who can offer global provision.

Levy said client companies in the US are looking at global services. For example, procurement chiefs at Motorola, a client of the Emcor Group in the US, have recently indicated their desire to move to more globally based contracts. 'Globalisation has become a big reality in the last five years and clients are looking for the ability to deliver across networks,' said Levy.