Victanis acted as the exclusive corporate adviser to SOCOTEC UK & Ireland on the acquisition of LSTC Group. Headquartered in Driffield, LSTC is a specialist multidisciplinary engineering consultancy providing solutions across the UK's electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Founded in 1954 as Line Surveys and rebranded as LSTC in 2001, the company has evolved over seven decades from a small, traditional surveying operation in rural East Yorkshire into a market-leading consultancy now employing more than 160 experts. LSTC offers comprehensive services, including overhead line design, geotechnical assessments, earthing solutions, substation and underground cable design, asset inspection, and drone-based surveying.
The integration will further strengthen SOCOTEC UK & Ireland’s specialist engineering capabilities and condition asset monitoring services in the critical energy sector. LSTC’s expertise in power transmission and distribution complements SOCOTEC’s infrastructure and surveying divisions, positioning the group to support clients in a strategic market shaped by major investment in the UK's energy transition (RIIO-ET3) for the next 5 years and beyond.
Victanis played a crucial role throughout the acquisition project, advising SOCOTEC on securing the opportunity, managing the whole process - including due diligence and SPA negotiations - and providing strategic guidance that helped complete the transaction.
Matthew Marriott, CEO of SOCOTEC UK & Ireland, said: "With LSTC joining SOCOTEC, we bring together complementary strengths in engineering, asset inspection and critical infrastructure services, positioning ourselves to support the UK’s power grid upgrades. Victanis' continued sector expertise and proactive approach to identifying opportunities has once again proved invaluable. Their professionalism and diligence throughout the process enabled us to move with confidence from first contact, right through to completion."
Tim Wilkins, Chairman of LSTC Group added: “The process from initial contact from Victanis through to completion was dealt with in a most professional and respectful manner, with their perseverance to engage with LSTC Group resulting in finalising this transaction. All shareholders are delighted with the outcome, and I am sure that under SOCOTEC ownership LSTC Group have a new and significant platform to continue building a unique proposition to service the major transmission and distribution network operators.”
Victanis’ TICC (Testing, Inspection, Certification, Compliance) team specialises in strategy consulting as well as transaction support to help corporate customers and financial investors develop and execute their growth plans in Europe. If you are interested in successfully growing your own business in this space or want to understand more about M&A in this sector, please don’t hesitate to get in contact.
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Marc de Thomasson
