Strabag swoops to buy piling specialist Van Elle for £59m

 Van Elle, the Nottinghamshire-based ground engineering and geotechnical contractor, has accepted an offer from Strabag UK for the purchase of its shares and the takeover of the company.

The board of Van Elle has accepted an offer from Strabag UK.

The offer from the Austrian group is worth 52.3 pence per share, valuing Van Elle at approximately £58.8 million.

As well as its core piling business, Van Elle includes Strata Geotechnics, experts in ground investigation and testing, ScrewFast Foundations, leaders in helical piling and modular steel foundations, Rock and Alluvium, piling specialists, Albion Drilling, experts in piling and drilling, and Van Elle Construction Training, providers of industry-leading training, we offer unrivalled capabilities and expertise to the construction industry.

Strabag UK has over 1,500 employees, operates in the energy, water, building, and transport sectors, and includes the HS2 London tunnels, the HARP water pipeline, the Woodsmith Potash Mine, and the Coire Glas pumped storage hydro tunnel amongst its current projects.

Completion of the transaction is expected by the end of June 2026, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, including approval by Van Elle’s shareholders.

Van Elle is currently listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), the London Stock Exchange's international market for smaller, growing companies. Following completion, Van Elle’s AIM listing is expected to be cancelled, and the company will be re-registered as a private limited company.

Commenting on the Acquisition, Frank Nelson, chairman of Van Elle said: "Formed in 1984, Van Elle is one of the UK's largest specialist geotechnical engineering contractors. Across its diverse end markets including residential and housing, infrastructure and regional construction, the Van Elle Group is proud to have delivered over 1,000 projects over the previous financial year.

“Van Elle's life as a quoted company is a short part of that history, however a period containing some significant global events. While strongly positioned in a number of key markets, broader sector and macro-economic issues have impacted value creation opportunities.

“Given the ongoing cycle, the Van Elle Board believes that the offer not only represents a significant premium, it also provides shareholders with the certainty of cash consideration and Van Elle's customer base with a supportive sector specialist owner focused on developing its product offering.

“On behalf of the Van Elle Board, I would like to acknowledge the part played by colleagues throughout the Van Elle Group to the development of the business, and offer my sincere thanks and appreciation for their ongoing hard work and continued commitment to the delivery of our strategic objectives."

Andrew Dixon and Simon Wild, Joint Managing Directors of STRABAG UK, added: “The acquisition of Van Elle is an important step in STRABAG SE's growth strategy, strengthening our position as a vertically integrated market leader in construction services.

“Van Elle brings a highly regarded ground engineering and geotechnical platform with an established UK market position that complements our existing operations, and we look forward to continuing to deliver for Van Elle's customer base.

“We are confident that the combination will drive additional value through our complementary client relationships and end markets."