WS Atkins buys firm in Florida for £180m

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

PBSJ has 3,500 employees in America, mainly on road engineering projects, and had underlying earnings of $47 million last year.

Atkins said the deal would help it to withstand the impact of government spending cuts in the UK, as the geographical make-up of its earnings would slip from 70% coming from British projects to 50%.

Chief executive Keith Clarke said: "We have the ability to take PBSJ into other US states, and to add technical skills to take them out of the primarily roads business into other parts of the transport market, particularly rail. This provides us with the opportunity to grow in America, the biggest infrastructure market in the world."

Atkins also posted a trading update, saying it was matching City expectations despite being "impacted" by the cancellation of some projects under the Building Schools for the Future programme.

It is forging ahead with work at the Olympic site in east London, with 200 Atkins engineers designing about a third of the roads and sewers there, as well as carrying out ecology and biodiversity studies.

"It is a tremendous piece of work, everyone is thoroughly enjoying working on it," Clarke said.