Jeremy Gardner Associates sold to Jensen Hughes
Jensen Hughes, the global leader in safety, security and risk-based engineering and consulting, has announced the acquisition of Jeremy Gardner Associates Ltd (JGA), a leading UK and Ireland-based fire safety consulting firm. BCMS advised JGA throughout the transaction, which completed in 2018.
Following the launch of its London office in 2017, the acquisition will help strengthen Jensen Hughes’ presence within the UK, Ireland and the European market.
Headquartered in London, JGA has seven offices across the UK and Ireland, and will join more than 70 Jensen Hughes locations globally.
“I had a professional level of support and advice from BCMS all the way through the process” – Jeremy Gardner, JGA
JGA was founded in 1994 by Jeremy Gardner with a sole focus on fire safety. Since then, the company has expanded to seven offices, a staff of 70, with 55 fire protection engineers, and more than 6,000 completed projects. These projects include some of the most complex construction projects in the UK, Ireland and continental Europe, such as the Microsoft campus in Dublin, St James in Edinburgh, and Wembley Park in London.
Jensen Hughes is a global leader in safety, security and risk-based engineering and consulting. Their engineers, consultants and scientists develop and deliver innovative and cost-effective solutions to a global client base involving fire protection systems design and analysis, code consulting, emergency management services, security consulting, forensic engineering, fire research, risk-informed applications, probabilistic risk assessments, development and testing, commissioning and construction services.
Deal commentary
“The JGA team brings exceptional technical expertise and client focus, which truly helps Jensen Hughes build global recognition as a world-class company,” said Paul Orzeske, CEO, Jensen Hughes. “We are excited to join forces with JGA. They share a similar culture and mindset around safety, security and risk mitigation for their clients, and we look forward to bringing additional fire and life safety-related capabilities to the UK and Ireland in the coming years.”
“We are thrilled to be a part of the Jensen Hughes family, a company that shares our commitment to safer buildings through fire safety,” said Jeremy Gardner, JGA Group Managing Director and Founder. “This acquisition by an industry-leading firm is a testament to the team and what we’ve accomplished over the last 24 years, and this new partnership will allow us to provide a more holistic approach to suit our clients’ growing needs as well as bring our expertise to new markets.”
Reflecting on BCMS’ advisory role a year after the transaction completed, Jeremy Gardner commented: “I’m now involved on the other side of the table, looking at buying other companies. What I see is that they don’t have the professional level of support that I got from BCMS, telling them what to expect and advising them on what’s likely to happen next. I had that from BCMS all the way through the process.”
