Complii acquires Classic Lifts (Scotland) to expand building compliance reach

What's the deal? London-headquartered Complii, a building safety and regulatory compliance services firm, has acquired Glasgow-based Classic Lifts (Scotland). The deal sees former owner Dave McColl shift to an executive director role, while ex-operations director William Coleman steps up to managing director.

Classic Lifts (Scotland) specialises in planned preventative maintenance, reactive repairs, emergency call-outs, and lift modernisation and installation works.

Sarah Dixon, chief executive at Complii, called the acquisition "an important and exciting step," adding that Classic Lifts "brings exceptional expertise, a dedicated team and a track record of quality that is entirely aligned with our values."

Why now? Complii is positioning itself as what it calls "the UK's most comprehensive building compliance partner." Acquiring a specialist lift services firm in Scotland extends its geographic footprint and deepens its service offering in a sector where regulatory demands are growing.

What could go wrong? Integration is always the risk with acquisitions of small, relationship-driven businesses. Classic Lifts built its reputation on local expertise and customer focus — preserving that culture within a larger group will be key. McColl acknowledged as much, saying he hopes the move gives his team "access to greater resources and capability, while preserving the expertise and customer focus that has always defined us."

The signal: Building compliance is becoming an increasingly crowded and consolidation-prone market in the UK, driven by tightening safety regulations. Firms like Complii are using acquisitions to bolt on specialist capabilities — in this case, lift services — rather than building them from scratch. Expect more roll-up activity in the sector as regulatory complexity grows.

Read more: bdaily.co.uk