Key Points
- WSP has acquired UK-based building services consultancy Hulley & Kirkwood, strengthening its building services expertise across the UK.
- The acquisition was announced on 29 September 2026 and was reported by Danny Longhorn of RailBusinessDaily.
- Hulley & Kirkwood was founded in 1953 and employs approximately 122 people across seven UK offices, with a particularly strong presence in Scotland.
- The consultancy specialises in mechanical, electrical and public health (MEP) building services.
- Hulley & Kirkwood has expertise across healthcare, defence, commercial, education and government sectors.
- WSP said the acquisition will strengthen its healthcare and defence capabilities and enhance its regional presence, particularly in Scotland.
- Paul Reilly, President and Managing Director for the UK & Ireland at WSP, described completion of the acquisition as an important step in strengthening the company’s UK building services expertise.
- Andy Temple, Executive Managing Director for Property and Buildings in the UK & Ireland at WSP, said Hulley & Kirkwood represents a strong strategic fit for the business.
- Michael O’Donnell, Director at Hulley & Kirkwood, said the acquisition would create new opportunities for the company’s engineers and employees within WSP.
- Colin Lindsay, Financial Director at Hulley & Kirkwood, said the combination would bring complementary expertise while retaining the company’s practical approach and client relationships.
- The integration is expected to be carried out through a structured programme designed to maintain continuity for clients while creating opportunities for growth and collaboration.
- WSP has more than 12,100 professionals across the UK and Ireland and approximately 83,000 professionals globally, according to its corporate announcement.
- The transaction adds specialist MEP capability to WSP’s broader multidisciplinary engineering and professional services operation.
- No purchase price or financial consideration for the acquisition was disclosed in the announcements reviewed.
What has WSP acquired from Hulley & Kirkwood?
WSP has acquired Hulley & Kirkwood, a UK-based building services consultancy founded in 1953, in a transaction intended to expand WSP’s technical capabilities and regional presence in the UK.
As reported by Danny Longhorn of RailBusinessDaily on 29 September 2026, WSP announced the acquisition of Hulley & Kirkwood as part of an expansion of its building services expertise in the UK.
The report identifies Hulley & Kirkwood as a specialist consultancy with approximately 122 employees operating from seven offices across the UK. The company has a particularly strong presence in Scotland, making the acquisition significant not only for WSP’s technical offering but also for its regional footprint.
WSP’s own announcement on 29 September confirmed the transaction and described Hulley & Kirkwood as a UK-based building services consultancy. WSP said the combination would bring the smaller firm’s specialist expertise into its broader multidisciplinary operation.
The transaction concerns a business focused on mechanical, electrical and public health engineering services, commonly referred to as MEP building services. Its work spans several important areas of the built environment, including healthcare, defence, commercial property, education and government.
Neither WSP nor the RailBusinessDaily report disclosed the financial value of the transaction or the purchase consideration.
Why is the Hulley & Kirkwood acquisition important to WSP’s UK business?
The acquisition gives WSP additional specialist building services capability while bringing Hulley & Kirkwood’s established UK regional presence into a much larger multidisciplinary organisation.
As reported by Danny Longhorn of RailBusinessDaily, the transaction is expected to strengthen WSP’s capabilities in healthcare and defence while enhancing its presence in Scotland and its wider technical capability across the UK.
WSP similarly stated that the combination would strengthen its healthcare and defence capabilities. The company also linked the transaction to its regional presence, particularly in Scotland.
The acquisition therefore combines two distinct aspects of engineering consultancy. Hulley & Kirkwood contributes specialist MEP knowledge and an established regional client base, while WSP brings a much broader multidisciplinary platform operating across infrastructure, buildings, environment, transport, energy, water and other areas.
The Association for Consultancy and Engineering’s Infrastructure Intelligence report on the transaction also highlighted the combination of Hulley & Kirkwood’s specialist building services expertise with WSP’s wider multidisciplinary offer.
What building services expertise does Hulley & Kirkwood bring?
Hulley & Kirkwood’s core expertise centres on mechanical, electrical and public health engineering, alongside sustainable design and related building performance services.
The company’s own published information describes it as an independent building services consultancy providing national coverage. Its services include mechanical and electrical building services, public health engineering, sustainability and energy performance, specialist medical gas services and strategic facilities management.
Hulley & Kirkwood also operates specialist services covering facilities management consultancy, technical advisory work, sustainability, building information modelling and related engineering functions.
The company states that it works across a broad range of built-environment sectors. These include healthcare, education, commercial, retail and leisure, and defence.
That existing expertise helps explain why WSP has identified healthcare and defence as two areas in which the acquisition can strengthen its capabilities.
The transaction also adds specialist engineering knowledge to WSP’s Property and Buildings operation, allowing the wider business to combine MEP expertise with other disciplines.
What did Paul Reilly say about the acquisition?
Paul Reilly, President and Managing Director for the UK & Ireland at WSP, said the completed acquisition represents an important step in strengthening WSP’s building services expertise in the UK.
According to RailBusinessDaily, Paul Reilly highlighted Hulley & Kirkwood’s technical reputation, sector knowledge and established regional presence, particularly in Scotland.
Paul Reilly also said WSP was pleased to welcome Hulley & Kirkwood’s employees and referred to opportunities for both clients and employees following the transaction.
His comments place the acquisition within WSP’s broader UK strategy rather than presenting it solely as an expansion of headcount. The emphasis is on combining technical capability, sector experience and regional delivery.
WSP’s announcement similarly presents the transaction as a means of bringing complementary capabilities together within its UK and Ireland business.
How does Andy Temple describe Hulley & Kirkwood’s strategic role?
Andy Temple, Executive Managing Director for Property and Buildings in the UK & Ireland at WSP, said Hulley & Kirkwood is a strong strategic fit for WSP’s Property and Buildings business.
According to the statement published by WSP and reported by RailBusinessDaily, Andy Temple pointed to Hulley & Kirkwood’s expertise in mechanical, electrical and public health engineering.
He also highlighted the consultancy’s track record in healthcare, education, commercial and government work.
Andy Temple said the combination would enhance WSP’s ability to provide integrated solutions for clients across the UK. He also linked the transaction to WSP’s presence in regional markets and its continued growth in building services.
The comments indicate that the acquisition is intended to operate across multiple sectors rather than being limited to a single market.
For WSP’s Property and Buildings business, MEP services are closely connected to the design, construction, operation and maintenance of modern buildings. Bringing additional specialist engineering capability into a multidisciplinary organisation can allow different professional disciplines to work together on the same projects.
What does Hulley & Kirkwood’s management say about its employees?
Michael O’Donnell, Director at Hulley & Kirkwood, focused on employees and professional development when discussing the acquisition.
As reported by Danny Longhorn of RailBusinessDaily, Michael O’Donnell said the company has many talented and long-serving engineers and attributed this in part to its emphasis on personal development and career progression.
Michael O’Donnell said the acquisition would provide new opportunities for employees to develop their careers and pursue their ambitions within WSP.
He also pointed to similarities between the two organisations, particularly their stated emphasis on service quality and local delivery for clients.
The workforce element is significant because Hulley & Kirkwood’s approximately 122 employees are joining an organisation with a substantially larger international workforce.
According to WSP, the company has more than 12,100 professionals across the UK and Ireland and approximately 83,000 professionals across more than 50 countries.
The transaction therefore changes the organisational environment in which Hulley & Kirkwood’s engineers and other employees operate while retaining their specialist knowledge within the wider WSP business.
What did Colin Lindsay say about client relationships and technical delivery?
Colin Lindsay, Financial Director at Hulley & Kirkwood, focused on the consultancy’s long-established reputation and working practices.
According to the statement reported by RailBusinessDaily, Colin Lindsay said Hulley & Kirkwood had developed its reputation over several decades around technical competence, practical delivery and trusted client relationships.
He said joining WSP would bring complementary expertise together and create new opportunities for employees and clients.
At the same time, Colin Lindsay emphasised the importance of retaining the company’s hands-on and pragmatic approach.
That distinction is relevant to the integration process because the acquisition involves bringing an established specialist consultancy into a much larger multinational organisation while seeking continuity in how existing clients are served.
How will WSP integrate Hulley & Kirkwood?
WSP said the integration will be implemented through a structured programme.
The stated objective is to ensure continuity for clients while creating opportunities for growth, collaboration and enhanced service delivery.
The announcement does not provide a detailed timetable for the integration or specify individual organisational changes. It instead sets out the broad approach of combining the two businesses while maintaining service continuity.
The structure is also consistent with the statements from both sides of the transaction. WSP executives have highlighted strategic fit, technical capability and regional growth, while Hulley & Kirkwood’s representatives have emphasised employees, client relationships and practical delivery.
The integration will therefore involve more than simply transferring ownership. It will bring together people, technical disciplines, regional operations and client relationships.
What sectors could benefit from the combined expertise?
The combined business will have particular relevance to sectors in which complex building services are required.
Hulley & Kirkwood already has experience in healthcare, defence, education, commercial and government projects. Its MEP expertise can support building design and delivery where mechanical and electrical systems, public health infrastructure, sustainability requirements and building performance are central considerations.
Healthcare buildings, for example, require specialised mechanical and electrical systems as well as complex public health infrastructure. Defence facilities can similarly involve detailed technical, security and operational requirements.
Education and government buildings also require integrated engineering services, while commercial developments increasingly involve energy performance, sustainability and building-management considerations.
WSP’s multidisciplinary structure gives these specialist capabilities access to a wider portfolio of professional disciplines.
The acquisition consequently expands the range of building services expertise available within WSP’s UK operation without changing the specialist nature of Hulley & Kirkwood’s engineering work.
How significant is Scotland to the acquisition?
Scotland is specifically highlighted in the announcements as an important part of Hulley & Kirkwood’s existing regional presence.
RailBusinessDaily reported that the consultancy has a particularly strong presence in Scotland, while WSP said the acquisition would enhance its regional presence, particularly in Scotland.
The BusinessDesk Scotland, in a report by Peter Walker published on 29 September 2026, described Hulley & Kirkwood as a Glasgow-headquartered building services consultancy and similarly reported that the company operates across seven UK offices with approximately 122 employees.
The Scottish footprint gives the acquisition a clear regional dimension. WSP already operates extensively across the UK, while Hulley & Kirkwood contributes an established specialist presence and local knowledge.
For clients, the stated objective is to maintain local delivery while giving access to the resources and multidisciplinary capabilities of the larger WSP organisation.
What does the acquisition mean for WSP’s wider UK operation?
The transaction adds another specialist consultancy capability to WSP’s existing UK and Ireland platform.
WSP describes itself as an engineering, science and infrastructure solutions firm operating across areas including transportation, infrastructure, environment, buildings, energy and water.
The company said it has more than 12,100 professionals across the UK and Ireland, while its global workforce stands at approximately 83,000 professionals operating across more than 50 countries.
WSP is publicly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker TSX:WSP.
Against that background, the Hulley & Kirkwood transaction represents a targeted expansion of building services expertise rather than a change to WSP’s overall business model.
The acquisition adds approximately 122 specialists from a consultancy with more than seven decades of operating history. Hulley & Kirkwood’s own website describes the business as having more than 70 years of experience in building services.
What is the wider significance for UK building services and engineering?
The acquisition illustrates how specialist engineering consultancies can become part of larger multidisciplinary professional services organisations.
Hulley & Kirkwood has developed specialist expertise in MEP engineering and related building services, while WSP operates across a much wider range of engineering and infrastructure disciplines.
The combination creates a structure in which specialist building-services knowledge can be delivered alongside broader engineering and consultancy capabilities.
The emphasis placed by both organisations on healthcare, defence, education, government and commercial work also reflects the range of technical requirements associated with modern buildings.
For professionals working in Construction and Civil Engineering, the transaction provides a current example of how specialist MEP engineering can intersect with wider multidisciplinary project delivery. Similarly, the emphasis on building operation and technical advisory services connects with Facilities Management, while the structured integration and delivery of complex client work relate closely to Project Management.
What happens next for WSP and Hulley & Kirkwood?
The immediate next stage is the integration of Hulley & Kirkwood into WSP through the structured programme announced by WSP.
The companies have said that client continuity will be maintained while the businesses pursue opportunities for collaboration and growth.
The acquisition brings approximately 122 Hulley & Kirkwood employees into WSP and strengthens WSP’s specialist MEP capabilities across its UK operation.
Paul Reilly, Andy Temple, Michael O’Donnell and Colin Lindsay have all framed the transaction around complementary expertise, people, client service and regional capability, although each has emphasised a different aspect of the combination.
The available announcements do not disclose the acquisition price or provide a detailed integration timetable. Further information on operational changes, leadership arrangements or the future branding of Hulley & Kirkwood was not included in the announcements reviewed.
For now, the central development is clear: WSP has completed the acquisition of a long-established UK building services consultancy, adding specialist mechanical, electrical and public health engineering expertise, strengthening its presence in Scotland and expanding its capabilities in sectors including healthcare and defence.