Browne Jacobson advise façade engineering consultants Wintech Group on its acquisition of AVUS Consulting

Browne Jacobson’s corporate lawyers have advised independent façade engineering consultants, Wintech Group on its acquisition of AVUS Consulting for an undisclosed consideration.

The acquisition will support the group to broaden its capabilities within the built environment marketplace to now include Façade Engineering, Façade Access and Maintenance, Fire Engineering, Sustainability and now Building Services Engineering.

The Browne Jacobson corporate finance team have advised on over 20 construction and real estate sector deals in the last 12 months, including advising Palatine on its exit from CTS Group, the fast-growing specialist in testing, inspection and geoengineering consulting services to the construction and infrastructure sectors.

Wintech Group which was founded in 1983 and is based in Wolverhampton, supports the construction industry with the provision of independent, impartial, technical and consultancy services that are linked to aesthetic, fire performance, environmental and structural challenges relating to construction projects. The business employs over 100 people across a diverse range of areas that focus on the science of façade engineering and includes consultancy, design, maintenance and sustainability. Wintech works with a broad client base both in the UK and overseas, which includes small contracting businesses, Royal clients and major stock market listed companies.

Mechanical and electrical design consultants AVUS Consulting was formed in 2003 and is headquartered in Northamptonshire. They support in projects ranging in size from £50k to £100M across all sectors, including commercial offices, industrial, logistics and large scale residential; with particular expertise in the healthcare and education sectors.

The Browne Jacobson deal team comprised partner Gareth Davies, associate Jack Milnthorpe and trainee solicitor Alex Clark.

Partner Gareth Davies said of the transaction: “We are very pleased to have supported our new client Wintech Group on this major acquisition. Wintech have a strong position in the specialist façade engineering industry, whilst AVUS have a great reputation for working on some very high profile, best in class developments throughout the UK, so but this move will position Wintech as a leader in the market by giving them the opportunity to offer a collaborative approach to both the façade and building services design. Wintech’s aspiration to assist the built environment through the provision Net Zero building design.”

Partner Michael Sadler who heads up the UK & Ireland firm’s real estate and construction practice added: “Wintech are highly experienced in sustainable façade design and construction solutions so working with them reinforces our commitment as a firm to support businesses that are striving to have a positive impact on our communities, society and environment. This transaction also showcases our specialisms in the more niche engineering design sector.”

Paul Savidge, Managing Director of Wintech said: “Building Regulations are now so complex, onerous and in many instances conflicting that the traditional siloed approach of consultancy within the construction industry, working independently to achieve regulatory compliance is no longer viable. With tightening regulations, the problem will only get worse, and a collaborative approach is essential to optimise building performance and ensure regulatory compliance is achieved. The acquisition of AVUS will allow Wintech to provide a co-ordinated façade and building services consultancy to help optimise the building design and energy efficiency of our projects.”

Browne Jacobson’s national corporate finance practice is ranked by Experian as one of the country’s leading corporate finance teams. It operates from our offices in Birmingham, London, Manchester, and Nottingham and is made up of over 50 expert corporate, private equity, venture capital (VC) and banking & finance lawyers delivering multi-layered transactions across a diverse range of sectors including retail, consumer & logistics, manufacturing & industrials, energy & infrastructure, real estate & construction and tech. The team which recently won the 2023 Regional Legal Adviser category at Real Deals Private Equity Awards works collaboratively with a rich, diverse, and longstanding portfolio of domestic and international clients including, fast growing start-ups, FTSE 100 companies, private equity investors and the UKs leading banking institutions.