Geotechnical and waste engineering companies ATC Williams and Allan Watson Associates have merged, offering their mining and general industry client base a broader range of engineering design services.
The companies work with resource companies such as MMG, Xstrata, Rio Tinto, Queensland Nickel and BP Australia, as well as governments and infrastructure corporations.
Effective 1 October, the merger gives the two companies a greater national network with offices in Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne, and positions them for expansion over the next few years.
ATC Williams Regional Manager East, Steven Murphy, said the merger in particular gives ATC an important presence in the booming Queensland marketplace.
“With an existing strong presence in Victoria and Western Australia, a Queensland presence via Allan Watson Associates enables us to offer our clients truly national services,” he said.
The combined companies currently employ 70 staff with plans to start hiring more immediately.
Murphy said the two companies are extremely complimentary, often working with the same clients but offering different services. These services include mining and civil geotechnical and engineering, mine tailings testing and management, water supply engineering and waste management and landfill design.
“Allan Watson Associates will strengthen our service offering immensely, particularly in the area of water engineering and waste management services,” Murphy said.
Formed 30 years ago, this is ATC Williams’ first merger. Similarly Allan Watson Associates has rejected all previous offers to merge in its 14 year history.
Founder of Allan Watson Associates, Allan Watson, said ATC Williams provided the right fit both professionally and culturally.
“The synergy is right between our two companies and the merger will allow us to grow and establish a strategy for succession planning,” he said.
The merger is also expected to provide increased opportunity with staff now able to obtain a wider range of experience under strong professional mentorship.
“Both companies pride themselves on relatively low staff turnover and constantly look for ways to offer our staff opportunities for growth and expansion,” Watson said.
In the short term both companies will continue to trade under their existing names. There will also be no changes to staff and management, although a range of new positions will become available in the near future.
“For clients it really is business as usual as we maintain all our existing services and personnel. The merger simply means the two companies have more to offer,” Murphy said.