SOCOTEC UK & Ireland adds to its growing portfolio with latest acquisition, Inertia Consulting

Founded in 2006 by David Roome, Inertia Consulting has been serving the UK's bridge engineering and inspection sectors ever since, having established itself as a trusted specialist engineering consultancy.

Becoming the seventeenth acquisition made by SOCOTEC UK & Ireland since 2017, Inertia Consulting further enhances SOCOTEC's infrastructure capabilities, as well as adding 50 full-time staff to the team.

Inertia Consulting has built a nationwide platform through its offices in Derby, Falkirk, Cwmbran and Cheshire. This is reflected in its diverse client relationships primarily within the Highways sector with multiple frameworks and involvement in significant infrastructure projects.

While SOCOTEC's infrastructure and engineering portfolio, already includes civil and geotechnical engineering services, structural investigation, construction testing, monitoring and surveying, it is enhanced by the addition of Inertia Consulting's specialised bridge engineering, temporary works design, structural inspection and NDT expertise. This will allow SOCOTEC to increasingly offer its services to the transport and highways infrastructure sector, strengthening its position as a trusted partner to National Highways, Network Rail and other major asset owners and Tier 1 contractors.

SOCOTEC Group CEO, Hervé Montjotin, said of the UK & Ireland’s latest acquisition: “Bringing Inertia Consulting onboard will help SOCOTEC UK & Ireland reach a new level of scale and capability in bridge engineering and structural inspection. We are certain Inertia Consulting will play a central role within our UK & Irish platforms, strengthening our position in a highly strategic market.

“This move is fully aligned with SOCOTEC Group's global strategy to accelerate its development in critical infrastructure, particularly transport infrastructure and major projects, which is essential to the resilience of our economies.”

Matthew Marriott, CEO of SOCOTEC UK & Ireland, added: “The acquisition of Inertia Consulting represents a significant milestone in our growth strategy and commitment to enhancing infrastructure safety and reliability across the UK and Ireland.

“Inertia Consulting's expertise in bridge engineering, temporary works design, structural inspection and infrastructure asset management, combined with their talented team, will significantly strengthen our engineering capabilities and expand our asset inspection offerings in this critical sector, particularly as the UK continues to invest in its highways and rail networks.”

David Roome, Co-Group Director of Inertia Consulting, said: “Joining forces with SOCOTEC UK & Ireland provides an exciting opportunity to expand our bridge engineering, structural inspection and asset management services while accessing wider resources, expertise and clients.

Ryan Bradley, Co-Group Director of Inertia Consulting, added: “Our team has built strong relationships with National Highways and other major infrastructure clients over two decades, and now, as part of SOCOTEC, we look forward to building on that legacy while contributing to the company's comprehensive infrastructure engineering offering.”