RPS Group Limited is a global

professional services Professional services are occupations in the service sector requiring special training in liberal arts and pure sciences education or professional development education. Some professional services, such as architects, accountants, engineers, d ...

firm of consultants and service providers, headquartered in

Abingdon-on-Thames Abingdon-on-Thames ( ), commonly known as Abingdon, is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Thames in the Vale of the White Horse district of Oxfordshire, England. The Historic counties of England, historic county town of Berksh ...

, England. It was listed on the

London Stock Exchange The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange based in London, England. the total market value of all companies trading on the LSE stood at US$3.42 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Paul's Cath ...

until it was acquired by

Tetra Tech Tetra Tech, Inc. is an American consulting and engineering services firm based in Pasadena, California. The company provides consulting, engineering, program management, and construction management services in the areas of water, environment, inf ...

in January 2023.

History

RPS was founded in 1970, as Rural Planning Services,Corporate factsheet
RPS Group with founder Michael Boddington as its first chief executive. It was first listed on the

in 1987. In the late 20th century, the company expanded under the leadership of a later chief executive, Alan Hearne, and in 2001 he received the

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

Entrepreneur of the Year award and company was nominated in the top four for PLC of the Year in the same awards. In 2014 RPS Group acquired CgMs Consulting, a consultant company speicalising in obtaining significant

planning permission Planning permission or building permit refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. House building permits, for example, are subject to buil ...

green belt A green belt or greenbelt is a policy, and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wilderness, wild, or agricultural landscape, land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts ...

areas. In August 2022,

WSP Global WSP Global Inc. is a Canadian consulting firm working mostly in the built environment. It was created in 2012, following Montreal-based Genivar's takeover of British firm WSP Group plc. It is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. After the pu ...

made a

takeover offer In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company (the ''target'') by another (the ''acquirer'' or ''bidder''). In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are publicly listed, in contrast to the acquisi ...

to purchase RPS Group for £591 million. In September 2022, RPS received a counter takeover offer from

for £636 million with WSP opting not to increase its bid. RPS' shareholders voted to accept the Tetra Tech offer in November 2022 and it was approved by the court in January 2023.

References

External links

RPS Group
{{Construction industry of the United Kingdom Companies based in Oxfordshire Consulting firms established in 1970 Engineering consulting firms of the United Kingdom Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange Construction and civil engineering companies of the United Kingdom 1970 establishments in England Construction and civil engineering companies established in 1970 British companies established in 1970 2023 mergers and acquisitions