Environmental consultancy ECL joins Celnor Group to expand across UK

Private equity-backed Celnor Group has expanded its safety and compliance division with the acquisition of ECL. The move enhances the group’s capabilities across environmental compliance, workplace safety and specialist technical consultancy services.

Among the UK’s most acquisitive companies, London-based Celnor Group was founded in 2023 by industry expert Simon Parrington, supported by investment from Inflexion Private Equity. It now delivers essential data, consultancy and insights to more than 20,000 clients, helping protect people, property and the environment, and in three years, it has grown from a concept to a £275 million-revenue international group, with four divisions of specialist companies and over 2,300 colleagues operating across 60 locations in six countries, including the US, France and Belgium.

Its safety and compliance division provides specialist support to help organisations meet regulatory and operational standards. Services include environmental testing, asbestos consultancy and analysis, and water compliance and hygiene. The division has been bolstered by a rapid acquisition campaign, with bolt-ons including APEC, Axis Environmental Services, Veriflo, and Total Water Care.

Joining that growing team is ECL. Established in 2001, the firm is a UK environmental consultancies, providing specialist environmental compliance, occupational hygiene, emissions monitoring and testing, and consultancy services to clients across a broad range of industrial sectors internationally. The business operates from multiple locations across Britain, supporting organisations with achieving and maintaining environmental regulatory compliance and workplace safety.

Simon Parrington, CEO and Founder of Celnor, said, “ECL is an outstanding business with an excellent reputation for technical expertise, innovation and customer service. Their multidisciplinary environmental consultancy capabilities and highly experienced team make them an excellent addition to the Group. We are delighted to welcome the ECL team to Celnor and look forward to supporting the business as it continues to expand its service offering and national presence.”

ECL delivers a comprehensive range of technical services including environmental consultancy, air quality and emissions monitoring and testing, environmental monitoring, occupational hygiene, LEV testing and maintenance services, and noise consultancy. The company has built a strong reputation for technical excellence, accredited monitoring and testing capabilities and delivering innovative compliance solutions for clients operating in complex and highly regulated environments. Looking ahead, the deal offers ECL the opportunity to broaden its client base with private equity backing.

David Boles, managing director ECL, added, “Joining Celnor represents an exciting opportunity for ECL and our colleagues and clients. We were looking for a partner that shared our values, ambition and commitment to delivering high-quality technical services, and Celnor was the ideal fit. As part of the Group, we look forward to continuing to invest in our people, innovation and service capabilities while maintaining the trusted relationships and high standards our clients expect.”