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The APEM Group announces second acquisition – AQUAFACT

Hot on the heels of the success of the acquisition of Woodrow last July, the APEM Group have acquired AQUAFACT International Services Ltd, a marine environmental consultancy based in Galway, Ireland.

AQUAFACT is an established environmental consultancy that prides itself on delivering professional and clear advice and guidance with the highest levels of accuracy to a variety of clients from the State, Semi-State and private sectors.

AQUAFACT APEM

Started by Brendan O’Connor and the late John Costelloe in 1986, the consultancy is firmly rooted in the scientific community in Ireland with close associations with the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), University College Dublin and Trinity College.

Excellence, (AQUAFACT was the first environmental consultancy in Ireland to be awarded the ISO 9001:2000 accreditation) cultural fit and shared values have been a driving factor in the decision-making process for APEM Group’s CEO Dr Adrian Williams.

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“We have known Brendan and the team at AQUAFACT for many years and therefore know that they deliver the highest quality marine consultancy services which complement our own marine and indeed wider ecological offering. Bringing AQUAFACT into the APEM Group enables both of us to provide more services to more of our clients collectively. This together with the expanding Irish offshore wind market means that it’s an extremely exciting time to be working in environmental consultancy across Ireland and indeed further afield.”

– Dr Adrian E. Williams, CEO, APEM Group

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“We in AQUAFACT have known of APEM for many years and have been impressed with the quality of their work. In the past we have attended a number of marine invertebrate identification courses with various members of the APEM team, so we are looking forward to building on and developing those relationships as we come together.”

– Brendan O’Connor

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Trading as AQUAFACT part of the APEM Group, the team will further enhance the Groups current marine and laboratory offering, allowing the provision of a wider range of surveys to clients in Ireland, and beyond.

Following a management buyout in 2019, APEM have achieved unprecedented growth aided by the support of WestBridge.

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“APEM operates in a fragmented market. A core part of our strategy is to pursue compelling opportunities that add to our capabilities with strategic acquisitions like this in both domestic and international markets. We are delighted to have supported this transaction and the continued growth of the APEM Group. Our acquisition of Woodrow, combined with APEM’s existing business in Ireland, mean we now have a full service offering and are a leading player in the Irish market.

– Peter Barkley, Partner at WestBridge

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The APEM Group is a collection of boutique environmental consultancies and now consists of APEM Ltd, APEM Inc, Woodrow and AQUAFACT.

Now employing over 300 staff across its locations throughout the UK, Ireland and the US, APEM’s experts are specialists in marine, freshwater, terrestrial ecology and geospatial services, and the organisation is the global leader in digital wildlife surveys.

With a track record in developing best practice and integrating technological solutions for environmental challenges, the company provides a comprehensive range of integrated niche services for clients across UK & Ireland, Europe, USA, Australia, and Asia.

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