Meinhardt chooses Birmingham for UK expansion

According to a recent study by Ibis World, the UK’s consultant engineering market is worth in the region of £53.2 billion. Having expanded healthily in recent years, further growth is expected to be buoyed by various types of infrastructure construction activity, such as electricity and telecommunications infrastructure construction, which have gained momentum and enhanced demand over the past five years. As a result, the sector presents a lucrative opportunity for consulting firms looking to expand their offerings in Britain.

To that end, one of the largest independent engineering consultancies in the world has chosen Birmingham for the expansion of its operations in the UK. Birmingham has seen a large influx of consulting firms in recent times: in the last 24 months, a wide range of advisory firms expanded into the UK’s second city, including Alvarez & Marsal, PwC and engineering consultancy Ramboll. 2019 looks set to see this growth continue, and most recently, this saw another of Meinhardt’s fellow engineering consultancies, Brentwood, become the latest firm to arrive in the city.

As it similarly looks to capitalise on a growing workload in the Midlands region, Meinhardt – headquartered in Singapore, but with offices in 47 international locations – has invested in new offices in the UK’s second city. Meinhardt took the strategic decision to locate its second UK office in Birmingham because of the city’s bustling property sector, and has placed itself in the heart of the city in close proximity to major transport hubs. The firm already has an established London office where it employs more than 100 people, which will support the new Birmingham office as it recruits local talent.

Meinhardt is already working on several projects in Birmingham, including the high-profile Timber Yard development in the city’s Southside development district, where it is providing civil and structural design consultancy services on behalf of the Galliard Homes and Apsley House Capital partnership. The multidisciplinary consultancy has appointed Jason Fox – who has over three decades of experience in the built environment – as its Regional Director, with responsibility for operational growth and project delivery. 

Commenting on the launch, Jason Fox said, “There is a real hunger to grow the business in the Midlands and create a sustainable and thriving team, and I have been impressed by the level of support and commitment that is being invested. We are already working on significant projects in the city and the creation of our Birmingham office not only seeks to capitalise on the wealth of regional opportunity, but shows our commitment to serving our existing client base as they look towards this region as a key strategic focus for development.” 

Meinhardt’s UK Managing Director, David Sharp, added, “Birmingham is geographically placed to lead development for the Midlands and we feel that the time is right for us to invest here. There is a real feeling of energy and pride when you walk around the city, and it’s clear that public bodies have exciting plans for the region and have set out a strategy for investment to facilitate this.”