SOCOTEC GROUP MAKES ITS 3RD ACQUISITION IN THE NETHERLANDS AND TAKES A LEADING POSITION IN THE COUNTRY IN TESTING, INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION OF BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE

• The SOCOTEC Group, an independent trusted third party, working in 25 countries, has significantly strengthened its presence in the Netherlands with its third acquisition within a year, which now represents €45m in total turnover.
• This summer, SOCOTEC acquired CAG Groep, a company that has been active for over 25 years in the quality management of drinking water, as well as in the energy optimization and safety of buildings.
• Based in Reeuwijk (between Rotterdam and Utrecht), the company generates a turnover of €22m and employs over 170 engineers and technicians providing expertise in all sectors in the Netherlands particularly for the central government
• The SOCOTEC Group is now one of the leaders in its sector in this important European territory which must overcome important energy transition or water management challenges given its specific geography and topography.
• The SOCOTEC Group has now 7 major platforms to underpin its growth: France, UK, USA, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain.

PARIS and REEUWIJK, Netherlands, Sept. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CAG, headquartered in Reeuwijk, is an independent and leading TIC company in the Netherlands with a focus on safe and sustainable buildings. CAG Groep has achieved a turnover of €22m in 2021 in the quality management, testing and inspection of drinking water, its historical business (71% of the activity). CAG is a one-stop-shop in the Water safety market and provides a comprehensive range of services in the Energy optimization and Building safety markets to fully unburden clients. CAG has a robust client base in the Water safety market that consists of over 400 clients in a variety of industries. CAG has increasingly focused on larger clients, such as governmental agencies, healthcare institutions and housing corporations.

Dutch legislation on water quality has been tightened up considerably in recent years, particularly with regard to legionella. CAG is one of the national leaders in the verification of compliance with these regulations and has all the necessary accreditations and its own laboratory, constituting high barriers to entry.

In the water regulatory compliance market, the company has a unique combination of testing and inspection services which echoes with the services developed by SOCOTEC in the UK in the water sector. In the emerging energy efficiency and building safety market, including energy efficiency certification and labelling, CAG is growing rapidly with property owners and managers as a result of increasing legislation in the energy performance of buildings and their resilience, in a country which has set itself the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and being amongst the European leaders of the circular economy.

Hervé Montjotin, CEO of the SOCOTEC Group, which achieved a turnover of 1 billion euros last year, said: "With CAG Groep, a risk management specialist in the water sector and building energy efficiency and safety, we have a third strategic pillar in the Netherlands. In 2021, we acquired Hanselman and Inpijn, respectively positioned in construction risk prevention and technical claims management for insurers, and in geotechnical services for large infrastructure projects. With a turnover of €45m and 400 employees, SOCOTEC now has a significant market position in the Netherlands and a real competitive advantage in the construction, real estate and infrastructure sectors, particularly in relation to environmental and energy issues. The scale effect brought by CAG Groep, combined with the quality and entrepreneurial culture of the management team, supports SOCOTEC's ambition in the Netherlands."

For Coen Piccardt Brouwer, CEO of CAG Groep: "The services that we offer already exist at SOCOTEC in other geographies. We will therefore be able to benefit from a broader network that will be positive for our clients and employees. In addition, the positioning of the other group's subsidiaries in the Netherlands is complementary to our own and opens up new possibilities for our clients and for us. Finally, our desire to further develop training, embodied by the CAG Academy, which trains recognized experts in their field, truly echoes the SOCOTEC Group's "employee value proposition", based, in particular on a policy of developing and sharing technical skills. Together with Socotec, we will continue to fulfill our mission: A safe, healthy and sustainable working and living environment for everyone."

Paul Vermaat, founder of Gate Invest, majority shareholder of CAG Groep: "We are proud to have found an international strategic partner for CAG, which will not only allow CAG to continue its growth but also provides a safe home to the organization and its people. Together with the management, we have significantly grown the business over the last five years, both organically as well as through four add-on acquisitions. This exit is the first one for Gate and shows why we started in the first place: to support entrepreneurs, management teams and organizations towards their next growth phase."

ABOUT SOCOTEC

Accompanying companies for 70 years, the SOCOTEC Group, chaired by Hervé Montjotin, has built its reputation as an independent trusted third party in the fields of risk management, compliance, safety, health and environment in the Building, Real Estate, Infrastructure and Industry sectors.

As a guarantor of the integrity, sustainability and performance of built assets, SOCOTEC is developing a range of services in testing, inspection and certification, from technical control, the group's historical expertise, to technical consulting and risk management services related to construction, infrastructure and industrial facilities. Its expertise enables it to support its private and public sector clients throughout the life cycle of their buildings and equipments in order to strengthen their sustainability.

No. 1 in construction inspection in France, No. 1 in geotechnical services and construction quality control in the United Kingdom and Italy, the group is a major player in TIC (Testing Inspection Certification) services in the Construction and Infrastructure sectors in Europe and the United States. The SOCOTEC group has consolidated revenues of €1 billion in 2021 (50% of which generated outside France) with 200,000 clients. With a presence in 25 countries and 10,000 employees, it has more than 250 external accreditations, enabling it to act as a trusted third party in many projects. More information on  www.socotec.com

Contact details:  Nicolas ESCOULAN, partner at TADDEO, nicolas.escoulan@taddeo.fr