Rapleys acquires Northmill Associates
The strategic property consultancy has continued its aggressive growth strategy, with the Manchester-based architect as its latest purchase.
Northmill Associates and its 14 employees will continue to further its expertise in public sector and roadside building design as part of Rapleys building consultancy division.
The organisation will also keep trading under the Northmill Associates name, with the tagline that it is a Rapleys company.
As members of Rapley’s building consultancy division, the architects will work alongside experts in project management, cost management, land development management, and building surveying.
Founded in 2016 by Ged Connor and Ian Grice, recent Northmill projects include The Edge in Whitehaven, Reading Law Courts, the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast, and the Silk Works Hotel in Manchester.
Connor and Grice will continue to lead the firm, and wider architectural team at Rapleys, as partners in the business.
Grice said: “We founded Northmill Associates to deliver innovative, technically led architecture for complex projects.
“Joining Rapleys gives us the platform to take that expertise further, combining our architectural and advisory strengths with its market-leading building consultancy, planning capability, and growing Manchester presence,” he continued.
“It is a strong cultural and strategic fit, and an exciting opportunity for our team and clients.”
For his part, Rapleys’ national head of building consultancy, Simon Harbour, said: “Northmill Associates is an experienced and respected architectural practice that will work perfectly with our building consultancy teams in Manchester and across the UK.
“Their governmental advisory work puts them at the forefront of best practice design delivery, strengthening our consultancy offer to provide best value to our clients,” Harbour continued.
“This is the sixth business acquisition for Rapleys in just a few years, and we will continue to add other companies, teams and talent that fit our culture and services as part of our sustainable growth strategy.”
Rapleys’ other five recent purchases include planning consultancy CSJ, building surveyor BlueBrick Consultancy, commercial businesses Aston Rose and Mellersh & Harding, and the retail and hospitality agency and capital markets teams form Avison Young.
The firm operates outside of offices in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Huntingdon – as well as in Manchester.
The Northmill acquisition puts the number of Rapleys staff operating in Manchester at 36. This includes five senior planners and an associate partner in commercial, who were brought on within the past year.
