Assent Acquires Clarke Banks to Strengthen the Group, Further Expanding Into Fire Safety Services

8th August 2023

8th August 2023: Assent, a leading multi-licence, national, private Building Control Approved Inspector, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Clarke Banks Group, a specialist fire engineering and building control Approved Inspector. The acquisition comes at a time when the industry is preparing for the most significant change in construction for over 40 years with the introduction of the Building Safety Regulator as part of the Building Safety Act.

Clarke Banks was founded in 2013 by Samuel Wright and Adam Melrose and has developed six strategic locations in the UK including London and Birmingham. The team, made up of 11 building control surveyors, 9 fire engineers, 2 technical staff and 11 administration team members, provide a range of highly specialised services that include building control, fire engineering, fire safety strategy and training across the whole of the UK. he acquisition will see the Clarke Banks leadership team remain at the helm as the company continues to grow and deliver high quality services to its customers.

Commenting on the acquisition, Iain Thomson, CEO of Assent said, “We have been actively looking to expand our suite of services in Assent, so it was important to us that the business we acquired would offer benefits to both parties, not simply grow the number of surveyors we could offer. Sam and Adam have built an incredibly successful business that provides complementary services to those offered by our existing businesses. The enthusiasm for the work that they do is second to none and we are delighted to be welcoming them to the Assent group of businesses.”

Joint founders of Clarke Banks, Wright and Melrose, had been investigating a number of investment partner options, looking for a company that aligned with their own values and future vision for the business.

Adam commented, “The introduction of the new Building Safety Regulator is making our whole industry look very closely at what will be required to achieve the competency levels needed. The recent consolidation we have seen in the sector is ultimately positive for the industry as a whole. Being part of the larger Group network will provide additional strength in the future for our team and greater resilience in service for the diverse and strong client base that we have built.” Sam added, “We are excited to start the next chapter of Clarke Banks with Assent. This is a strategic acquisition that will benefit both parties and help to deliver a comprehensive service offering to clients as a pivotal time in our industry.”

“This acquisition marks another important milestone in Assent’s impressive development strategy. With Clarke Banks, Assent will both strengthen and expand the service offering to even better serve its customers. I am also delighted to welcome Sam and Adam two exceptional entrepreneurs which will further strengthen the leadership team of Assent” said Sebastian Canzler, a Partner at Alpina Partners representing the majority shareholder in Assent.

The acquisition of Clarke Banks was completed on 27^th July 2023. The company will continue to be branded as Clarke Banks.