Last Updated 21st April 2023
Morrison Water Services
Morrison Water Services (MWS, formerly Morrison Utility Services) is a leading UK utility services provider working for the water industry mainly through multi-year framework agreements and with a turnover of around £400 million.
Part of the £1.3 billion-turnover M Group Services, Morrison Water Services (MWS) was created in April 2021, as a dedicated water infrastructure services business providing a wide range of services to UK clients. At the same time Morrison Energy Services was formed as a separate business to provide infrastructure services as part of M Group’s energy division. Today the group”s water business has a healthy order book and employs some 1,900 people.
With a head office at Stevenage in Herts, MWS works mainly with blue-chip utility companies in the UK and Ireland and often through long term contracts for major asset owners such as Thames Water and Yorkshire Water. The group’s core operations cover water, waste water and Meicat (mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control, automation and telemetry).
The company also carries out work for local authorities and National Highways. Other companies in MGroup’s water division, include IDSystems, IWJS and PMP Utilities.
In May 2018, parent company M Group Services – which includes Morrison Water Services, Morrison Data Services, Dyer & Butler, Magdalene, PMP Utilities and M Group Services Plant & Fleet Solutions – was acquired by PAI Partners, a private equity investor in businesses in Europe, from First Reserve, also a private equity firm. Meanwhile in late 2020, M Group Services acquired Skanska UK’s £320 million-turnover infrastructure services arm.
Morrison Water Services” latest annual report, published in February 2023, noted that the company had made good progress in securing new framework contracts and extending existing contracts and pointed to a strong long term order book which provided a sound platform to deliver continued growth.
Financials
To view the financials for Morrison Water Services, visit Companies House and use Company ID 04530602
MWS”s latest reported turnover was impacted by the transfer of energy contracts to a separate subsidiary in the group. Turnover fell by 40% to £403.6 million in the year to end-March 2022 although underlying profits (ebitda) increased to £22.5 million, from £7.3 million previously. Meanwhile operating profits on continuing operations rose to £21.98 million from £11.8 million previously and pre-tax profit rose to £21.99 million from £5.67 million. However, the company”s latest balance sheet shows cash of £39.9 million, down slightly from £42.3 million last time and net assets of £277.7 million.
Water Services
Morrison offers a full range of water and wastewater infrastructure services from repair to new network build and rehab services. It also provides M & E services for above ground investment. It operates assets for private companies and public authorities and clients including Southern Water, Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and Welsh Water.
MWS won a series of contract extensions with key utilities clients over 2021/22. The group won two major long-term frameworks with Scottish Water and extended a smart metering framework with Thames Water. It also saw more work linked to contracts for HS2.
Meanwhile, MWS extended a long-running link with Yorkshire Water by winning a place on its AMP7 clean water network repair and maintenance framework. Over summer 2022, MWS worked with Yorkshire Water to deliver a drinking water spray lining programme, thought to be the first of its kind across the sector in AMP7. The group is also working on a new digital service with Yorkshire Water.
The company has also been appointed by Scottish Water as a strategic contractor partner on one of Scotland’s largest infrastructure projects; under a six year DV2 framework, MWS has been appointed to lot 4 – capital investment for mechanical electrical instrumentation control and automation.
MSW is also Thames Water’s primary contractor for its infrastructure capital programme in south London and the Thames Valley and it has two long-term framework contracts for Northumbrian Water for capital works on water and wastewater network infrastructure projects for projects in the Northumbrian Water and Essex & Suffolk Water operating areas.
Other utilities which MWS has long-running frameworks with include Anglian Water (for capital maintenance works on clean water and wastewater, awarded through the IOS framework) and Southern Water.
Glenigan Data
Data from Glenigan highlights the varied workload at Morrison Water Services. It shows that MWS has been awarded a place on Thames Water”s £139 million wastewater works framework; lot 5 covering high value repairs on both the gravity and pressurised wastewater network across the utility’s area due to start in spring 2023 and run for three years (Project ID: 22393336). Glenigan data also shows MWS is the civil contractor on a new £750,000 wastewater pumping station for Southern Water Services at Chilmington Green near Ashford where work is due to start under a framework in summer 2023 (Project ID: 21015183).
Conclusion: Benefitting from long term frameworks with utilities
Morrison”s client base has provided a reliable source of work during the industry’s lean years and today, it is continuing to benefit from a strong presence on long term frameworks with the major UK water utilities. After a group restructuring which has left it as a dedicated supplier to the water sector, the company”s recent contract successes are ensuring its workload in the sector should be sustained over the 2020-25 Amp 7 investment period and into the Amp 8 period thereafter. The sector remains competitive and Morrison”s margins are likely to remain under pressure but the company’s healthy order book, its technical know-how and success in securing major contracts, all point to it continuing to prosper.
Winning work with Morrison Utility Services
Morrison puts a strong emphasis on building alliance partnerships; it aims to create one team, integrating and combining with clients’ teams and the supply chain for common objectives and benefit. In 2015, the firm was named winner of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, construction commercial industry sector award for the sixth time.
The Pipeline Industries Guild awarded ‘Utility Pipeline Project Award 2022’ to Morrison Water Services, Die Draw, Agility Alliance and Thames Water for its project to rehabilitate a critical 36 inch main on Seven Sisters Roadin north London.
Key Contacts:
Selena Hardman is Procurement Manager at Morrison Water Services
Tel: 0330 123 0324
Email selena.harman@morrisonws.com
Simon Bryant is Commercial Director at Morrison Water Services
Tel: 0330 123 0324
Email simon.bryant@morrisonws.com