Double success for RSK in GSF 2020

RSK is delighted to have placed first in both the UK Geotechnical Top 100 and the Consultants Top 50 rankings of the Ground Engineering Geotechnical Services File (GSF). It is the first time that RSK has secured the top position in both categories, having risen from ninth geotechnical company by UK turnover and second consultancy by UK turnover in 2019.

Speaking of RSK’s success in this year’s report, Ground Engineering comments: “RSK group has leapt to the top of the rankings, with a turnover of £99M. It moved up eight positions from last year, when it recorded a turnover of £55M. Indeed, the company has continued its expansion, with more acquisitions in 2019 and 2020, as it pursues greater market share. Among the recent acquisitions are Raw Technology (July 2019), Geocore Site Investigations (August 2019), Ecologia (September 2019), ATP (October 2019), Salix (2020) and RoC Consulting (July 2020).” The latest additions also include Austrian environmental consultancy Boden + Wasser in September and Water Research Centre Ltd (WRc), an independent centre for innovation and growth, in August.

Joining RSK in the league tables, are RSK companies Structural Soils, Central Alliance and CAN Geotechnical, which feature in the rankings based on their individual company figures. CAN Geotechnical has secured 33^rd position on the Top 100 UK Geotechnical Companies list. Meanwhile, on the Top 50 UK Contractors list, Structural Soils places at 14, while Central Alliance joins the list in 34^th position.  

As for the geotechnical sector in general, this year’s report rightly acknowledges the profound impact of the coronavirus pandemic and what this might mean for the sector in the year to come. With 67% of respondents to this year’s GSF citing COVID-19 as the top industry concern, Ground Engineering notes that, “While the future seems uncertain, key projects such as High Speed 2 give some grounds for optimism.”

RSK is quoted extensively in the article saying that, although the geotechnical market has been affected by the pandemic, it has “so far come through this largely unscathed and better than many. In large part, this has been due to the ongoing government and private sector spend on major infrastructure projects, which has carried many companies through the crisis”.

“The adaptability shown by the workforce has aided recovery from the dark days in April, when practically all main sites went on hold and a huge percentage of the workforce was placed on furlough,” said RSK Chief Executive Officer and founder Alan Ryder. He added that expenditure on projects such as High Speed 2 and the Lower Thames Crossing has enabled a speedy recovery from lockdown and will “dominate and drive the geotechnical sector for both contractors and consultants for the next 12 months and more”.

The GSF is Ground Engineering’s annual survey of the UK’s geotechnical and geoenvironmental industry and provides insights into current market conditions and forecasts for the year ahead. Subscribers can read the GSF and analysis article in full on the Ground Engineering website.