Clearwater advises Longacre Group and Taylor Hopkinson on its sale to Brunel International N.V.

Transaction

Longacre Group and Taylor Hopkinson acquired by Brunel International N.V.

Sell-side

€44.6m

Role

Adviser to Longacre Group and Taylor Hopkinson on its sale to Brunel International N.V.

Sector

Business Services

Region

United Kingdom

Clearwater has advised Longacre Group and Taylor Hopkinson, a trusted recruitment partner to global renewable energy leaders, on its majority sale to Brunel International N.V. (Brunel), a global provider of flexible workforce solutions and expertise.

Glasgow-based Taylor Hopkinson was founded by Tom Hopkinson in 2009. It has grown organically to become the biggest pure-play renewable energy team in the world. Today it operates through seven international offices on three continents. A trusted recruitment partner to renewable energy leaders, Taylor Hopkinson delivers permanent and contract recruitment solutions, retained search and business intelligence solutions to enable its clients to develop, finance, construct and operate renewable energy projects globally. Its multi-lingual teams specialise in the wind (offshore and onshore), solar and energy storage sectors, placing talent across Europe, Iberia & LATAM, APAC and North America. Founder and Director Tom Hopkinson will continue to lead the business forward.

The acquisition supports Brunel’s strategic direction to be the leader in specific segments of the international professional labour market. Taylor Hopkinson expects to achieve a revenue of over €50m in 2021, a growth of more than 60% year on year. With this impressive history of growth, the acquisition of Taylor Hopkinson will be a great accelerator to Brunel’s position in Renewable Energy. The enterprise value of the company is €44.6m, of which Brunel are acquiring 72%. Brunel has an option to acquire the remaining shares after three years.

The urgent need to transition to renewable energy generation around the world is never more evident than it is today. Accelerating demand for skilled and competent professionals beyond current available specialists requires the transfer of skills from aligned sectors in the coming years. Brunel’s network of 12,000 specialists and record of accomplishment in professional development and training, coupled with Taylor Hopkinson’s team, networks and knowledge will deliver an unrivalled value proposition to meet these challenges facing our clients. With a compliance record that is unsurpassed alongside a truly global footprint, we will be able to support the energy transition wherever in the world our clients are today, and in the future. We are looking forward to using our joint expertise to set a new industry benchmark for outstanding service delivery in renewable energy workforce solutions.
Tom Hopkinson, CEO of Taylor Hopkinson

I’m very excited to announce our first acquisition since we presented our updated strategy earlier this year. Even more so considering the organization we are acquiring: Taylor Hopkinson has a unique profile, brand and strong performance in one of the most attractive, fast-growing technical industries. Its founder Tom Hopkinson is a recognized field expert and leader in the renewable industry. He is a driven, informed and yet a down-to-earth entrepreneur who really knows what the key success factor for his company is - ‘the Taylor Hopkinson colleagues that make it happen’. Tom’s passion for his team aligns 100% with our ‘passion for people’ value.
Jilko Andringa, CEO of Brunel International N.V.

Taylor Hopkinson has found a highly complementary partner in Brunel bringing a global infrastructure and client base to Taylor Hopkinson, which will no doubt accelerate future growth. Taylor Hopkinson aligns closely with Brunel’s strategy of supporting clients with their energy transition and lowering their carbon footprint. The existing management team will lead the renewables business for Brunel, bringing specialist expertise, knowledge and experience to the wider Group. We would like to wish the entire team all the best.
Marcus Archer, Managing Partner, Clearwater