Belfast's AM Consulting Engineers buys Haworth McCall in second UK deal in under a year
What's the deal? AM Consulting Engineers (AMCE)Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Belfast-headquartered consultancy, has acquired structural and civil engineering firm Haworth McCall, which has teams in Brighton and Belfast. Terms were not disclosed. The deal adds eight staff and specialist expertise in low-carbon, conservation, and building design, taking AMCE to about 50 employees.
Why now? It is AMCE's second UK acquisition in under a year. In January 2026 it bought Coventry's Bridges PoundDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a deal that doubled its workforce to 40.
What's the endgame? Established in Belfast in 2021 as a specialist civil engineering consultancy, AMCE has since expanded into structural and geotechnical work across the water, wastewater, transportation, and infrastructure sectors. It aims to exceed 100 staff within three years.
The firm, which also has an office in Cork, recently designed complex temporary works for the £82m Narrow Water Bridge project alongside contractor BAM Ireland. Those works will support installation of the final bridge elements in 2027.
Managing director Aidan McCarthy said the deal is "another key step in strengthening our position as a leading multidisciplinary engineering consultancy." He added that Haworth McCall's expertise "complements our own, particularly in low-carbon, sustainable design and historic and conservation engineering."
Haworth McCall was formed in Brighton in 2014. Its partner and managing director, Desmond McCall, said joining AMCE creates an opportunity "to play a greater role in addressing some of the major challenges facing the built environment, including water infrastructure, sustainable design, housing, and climate change."
The signal: The deal fits a wider pattern of engineering consultancies using acquisitions to add specialist capabilities and regional reach. WSPDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → bought Scottish firm Hulley & KirkwoodDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → in September, while SOCOTECDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s November purchase of Inertia Consulting added bridge-inspection expertise and 50 staff. For AMCE, the significance lies less in deal size than in the pace of a growth strategy extending its footprint and broadening its service mix.
Read more: businesseye.co.uk
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