Last updated 3rd June 2022
WSP
WSP is one of the world”s leading engineering, environmental and design consultancy providing integrated management and consultancy services across the built and natural environment with net revenues of C$7.9 billion.
The firm provides integrated, multi-disciplinary and specialist services in its core markets of property (buildings), infrastructure (including transport and local Infrastructure), industry and energy & environment. The group”s scale increased dramatically in October 2014 when parent company WSP Global acquired the US consulting engineer Parsons Brinkerhoff, creating one of the world”s largest professional services firms.
WSP was ranked number 1 Engineering News-Record”s 2021 league table of the top 225 international design firms. It was also ranked number 1 in buildings and transportation and secured top 5 positions in the power and environmental sectors.
Originally, WSP was created through the merger in 2012, between WSP and the Canadian consultancy Genivar Inc., which created WSP Global and in 2015, the group acquired MMM Group, one of Canada”s largest privately-owned engineering consulting firms. Key recent acquistions included Mouchel Consulting, which expanded its presence in public transport and infrastructure in the UK, Ireland and the Middle East. The group”s core sectors cover property & buildings (21%); transport & infrastructure (47%); earth & environment (23%); power, energy, resources & industry (9%).
In the UK and Ireland, the group employs over 7,000 people and provides consultancy services on the built and natural environment across the public and private sectors. Its growth ambitions are reflected in its plans to recruit a further 2,000 staff in 2022 with 400 opportunities for graduates.
Key projects where the firm has worked have included the Shard, Crossrail, New South Glasgow Hospital, the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham, the re-development of London Bridge Station, Manchester Metrolink and the London Olympic & Paralympic Route Network. Mark Naysmith is the group”s UK chief executive officer.
In spring 2022, the group unveiled an ambitious long-term strategy to double in size and to “evolve the organization through its three driving forces of change, namely ESG, innovation and technology.” Its global strategic action plan also involves annual growing organic net revenues by over 5% and net revenues to over C$10 billion. It plans to invest C$150-200 million in digital tools and systems.
In March 2022, the group unveiled solid results showing its backlog of work stood at C$10.4 billion at end-December 2021, up by 10% over the year. Alexandre L’Heureux, WSP’s president and CEO, said: “Our clients have continued to rely on WSP for our innovative solutions, resulting in a sustained and healthy backlog that, combined with favorable market trends, represent a solid foundation on which to build our next strategic cycle.”
Financials
To view the financials for WSP Group Ltd. visit Companies House and use Company ID 02136404.
The parent group, WSP Global Inc. reported net earnings of C$473.6 million in 2021, up 72%, on net revenues of C$7.87billion, some 15% higher. Overall, WSP”s EMEIA (Europe, Middle East, India Africa) segment had revenues of C$2.5 billion in 2021, up 6.3% on the previous year with organic growth led by recovery in the UK and a good performance in the Middle East. The division accounts for around a third of the group’s revenues and it ended the year with an orders backlog of C$2.44 bn, up 19.5%.
Accounts for WSP Ltd in the UK show that its produced a dramatically higher dividend income of £61.2 million in the year to December 2020, up from £4 million previously. Operating profit rose to £59.9 million up from £1.34 million and the company reported a pre-tax profit of £61.34 million in the year to December 2020, up from £4.53 million.
Sectors
WPS’s specialisms cover a wide range of areas from land remediation to urban planning. It provides core services in buildings, energy, environment, industry, mining and transport & infrastructure.
The company works across markets covering aviation, commercial, education, energy, government, healthcare, hotels & resorts, industrial, IT & telecoms, marine & coastal, mining, oil & gas, rail, residential, retail, roads & highways and sport & leisure.
In late 2021, WSP was appointed to five lots on Crown Commercial Service’s Construction Professional Services framework which will be used by UK government departments and public sector bodies on a wide range of projects and replaces an earlier framework. WSP will lead a team involving Rider Levett Bucknall UK as strategic partner and a supply chain of architectural and commercial specialists. WSP secured lots on five areas: built environment & general infrastructure; urban regeneration; high rise ; defence and environmental & sustainability technical services.
The firm is also putting increasing emphasis on digital design; a new head of digital innovation in WSP’s property & buildings business has recently joined from Aecom.
Today, carbon capture and moves to net zero are providing a promising source of work for the firm. In spring 2022, WSP moved to new offices at Northshore One in Stockton after winning a place on the Teeside combined authority”s decarbonisation cluster plan framework. The firm has also moved its Leeds office to new city centre space to support growth in the region. Elsewhere, WSP is also advising the West Midlands Combined Authority on its plan to become a net zero region by 2041.
In the transport sector, WSP was appointed in spring 2022 to advise National Highways for the next two years on its net zero plan, working alongside Mott MacDonald and Ramboll. Elsewhere in the roads sector, WSP was named in autumn 2021 as a supply chain partner to National Highways on its new six year Scheme Delivery Framework (SDF), worth up to £3.6bn on the renewal and improvement of the country’s motorways and major A-roads. WSP won three design services roles in the East, North West and South South Super regions.
On rail, the firm is heavily involved in HS2 and in late 2021, it made new senior hires – Matt Bailey as delivery director and Stuart Dickson as director of rail major projects – support its growing presence in the sector.
Earlier, in 2020, WSP was appointed to a Network Rail framework which will run over the next five years under the CP6 time period and is worth some £400 million. WSP has been appointed to deliver multi-discipline national design services, as well as electrification and plant services in the South East, North West and Scotland regions, and civils and structural services in the South West.
Meanwhile, WSP recently appointed Paul Reilly, previously with Stantec, as the new managing director for its planning & advisory business. He leads a team of more than 1,800 people across the development, environment, infrastructure, energy, water and transport sectors.
Meanwhile in early 2022, WSP was appointed to design a combined rural mobility strategy for the South West of England; the first such strategy developed at a sub-national level.
On the energy front, WSP was appointed in autumn 2020 as the lead on planning, environmental and land advisory advice for HyNet North West’s CO2 pipeline, the UK”s first major hydrogen and carbon capture, usage and storage project. WSP is also providing transport planning advice for Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk, where plans have been submitted.
Glenigan data
Glenigan data highlights the scale and breadth of WSP’s workload. It shows that WSP is the environmental engineer on a £65.4 million scheme involving 480 flats at Bluecoat Park in Harrogate where Homes England is the client and work is due to start in late 2022 and run for 12 months (Project ID: 15073325). Glenigan data also shows that WSP is the structural consultant on a £25 million Health Innovation Hub in Glasgow where work is set to start in late 2022 (Project ID: 22201950).
Conclusion: A leading light in the sector which is benefitting from scale economies
WSP is one of the leading lights of the UK consulting engineering sector. A major player in its own right, the firm has thrived since it combined with Genivar and is now benefitting from further scale economies through the combination with Parsons Brinkerhoff. In the UK, WSP has a strong track record in transport and infrastructure but today its expertise is also in demand in areas such as net zero carbon, road and rail, sustainable cities and energy efficiency. It has taken full advantage of the growth in hi-rise building and continued strong investment by the utilities, and should benefit as the government boosts infrastructure spending.
Winning work with WSP
WSP has a policy to work in partnership with clients and suppliers and to build long term relationships. It puts an emphasis on integrated teamwork and harmonising its multi-disciplinary skills with suppliers. The firm also puts an emphasis on sustainability and innovation.
Contacts
David Symons: Future Ready Global Leader Director E &E, UK
Email david.symons@wspgroup.com
Tel 020 7314 5725
Ally Crystal, Senior Manager Supply Chain Management, based in Harrogate
Email ally.crystal@wspgroup.com