OCU Group, a leading infrastructure and energy company, has acquired civil engineering firm RJ McLeod for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition, announced on the 11th of June, is expected to increase OCU’s annual revenue to over £800 million, enhancing its capacity to support the critical UK energy transition to net zero.
OCU’s chief executive, Michael Hughes, stated that the acquisition “marks a key milestone in the OCU Group journey to become the leading energy transition and utilities contractor in the UK”. RJ McLeod will continue to operate under its own name, with its joint managing director, Graeme Clark, noting that joining OCU “has increased our ability to provide a more comprehensive service to existing and new clients”.
RJ McLeod, established in 1951 and based in Glasgow, was ranked 72nd in the CN100 2023 table of top contractors. In its most recent accounts for the year ending 30 October 2022, the firm reported a turnover of £210.3 million and a pre-tax profit of £18.6 million. This marked the first time the company’s revenue exceeded £200 million, although pre-tax profit decreased from the previous year’s £25 million. The company employed an average of 441 people monthly during the year, down from 473 in 2020/21.
Specializing in renewable energy, RJ McLeod is involved in building onshore wind farms as part of the Scottish Government’s target to create 20GW of onshore wind capacity by 2030. The company also possesses specialist capabilities in battery storage, hydroelectric projects, and grid and substation construction. Earlier this year, RJ McLeod was appointed to co-lead a £1 billion Scottish utilities works and services framework from Scape, alongside McLaughlin & Harvey.
OCU Group, in its most recent accounts for the year ending 30 April 2023, posted a pre-tax profit of £7.7 million from a turnover of £454.5 million. In November of last year, OCU was selected along with Keltbray Energy and Clancy Group to undertake more than £1 billion in upgrades to the electricity network in the South of England on behalf of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.
