Merebrook Consulting is moving forward as an independent environmental and engineering consultancy following its disinvestment from Spanish multinational IDOM Group.
The company was acquired by Bilbao-based IDOM Group in 2008, but will now begin a new chapter under the ownership of M&L Holdings, a portfolio of businesses within the construction, building products and associated industries led by Mark Lavender.
Established in 1997 and based in Matlock, Derbyshire, Merebrook provides consultancy across air quality, civil and geotechnical engineering, contaminated land, environmental compliance, health and safety, and waste management.
The firm operates mainly within the construction sector, serving clients across the UK from offices in Derbyshire, Kent, and the North West.
Lavender brings over 30 years of leadership and commercial experience across B2B sectors and said he was immediately drawn to the opportunity Merebrook presented.
He said: “The initial appeal was that this was a corporate disinvestment from IDOM, of which I’m familiar due to my corporate background. Soon after negotiations and meeting the Merebrook team, it was evident this business had a solid foundation based on its people, its technical reputation in the market, and a strong focus on customer service. It was very evident that Merebrook would be an excellent platform to build a multi-disciplined environmental and engineering consultancy business to serve the construction and built environment industries.”
To support the management buy-in, Arbuthnot Commercial Asset-Based Lending delivered a comprehensive funding package that included a Confidential Invoice Discounting line, Growth Guarantee Scheme, and cash flow loans.
The bespoke facility not only enabled the carve-out from IDOM but also provides headroom for future acquisitions.
Lavender continued: “From my initial calls with Arbuthnot, it was clear they were genuinely interested in the business. Very quickly, we were able to filter out those lenders who were only interested in doing an immediate deal and weren’t overly keen on supporting future acquisitions. I needed a partner who could not only help us complete this deal but also support opportunities as we continue on our acquisition path. The team at Arbuthnot was incredibly supportive, understanding, and personable at every step.”
Andrew Rutherford, commercial director at Arbuthnot Commercial ABL said: “We were delighted to support Mark with the strategic management buy-in of MCL. This transaction demonstrates our commitment to backing experienced leaders with growth strategies, and our personal approach to understanding each client’s unique needs. The multi-faceted nature of this funding package reflects our ability to structure a bespoke solution that not only supported the immediate platform acquisition, but also future expansion plans.”
Merebrook said the move gives it “more freedom to expand the services we offer, while keeping our focus on what matters most to us: reliability, technical expertise and a balanced, practical approach”.
Rob Glavin will continue to lead the business as managing director and retain a small ownership stake as the firm embarks on this new phase.
He said: “We will miss our former colleagues at IDOM and thank them for their support and friendship,” said Glavin. Under our new ownership, we will strive to offer ongoing high-quality consultancy support, enhance our client relationships, and to forge a first-class and supportive working environment. This marks a return for Merebrook Consulting as an independent consultancy and we are excited for the future.”
