Parkman Group
Encyclopedia
Parkman Group plc was a leading firm of engineering
consultants. It merged with Mouchel
in 2003.
in 1888, predominantly as a water and public health business. By the mid-1960s it had diversified into highways and structural engineering and from the 1970s it had spread its wings internationally, working in Africa
and Portugal
and later Eastern Europe
. The company advised on outsourcing following the rapid expansion of public sector term contracts in the 1980s. From the mid-1990s Parkman moved into public sector property and housing, starting with the London Borough of Bexley
, and in 1996 it won a Queens Award for Export Achievement.
In 2000, the company, previously management and staff-owned, underwent a management buy-out and by 2001 a significant shift took place in the company's turnover as it moved towards public sector outsourcing commissions. In 2001 it was floated on the London Stock Exchange
.
In 2002, Parkman was named Financial Times
New Company of the Year and the following year it was named as one of the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For.
Parkman Group plc's acquisitions included education consultant Full Circle in May 2002 and lighting design consultancy Atkins Odlin in July 2003.
Mouchel
plc and Parkman Group plc announced plans to merge on 21 August 2003: the merger was completed in September 2003, forming the new company, Mouchel Parkman
plc.
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
consultants. It merged with Mouchel
Mouchel
Mouchel Group plc is a multinational infrastructure and business services company headquartered in Woking, United Kingdom. It operates in sectors including highways, business process outsourcing, water, property, housing, education, waste, environmental and local government consultancy services in...
in 2003.
History
Parkman was founded in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in 1888, predominantly as a water and public health business. By the mid-1960s it had diversified into highways and structural engineering and from the 1970s it had spread its wings internationally, working in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and later Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. The company advised on outsourcing following the rapid expansion of public sector term contracts in the 1980s. From the mid-1990s Parkman moved into public sector property and housing, starting with the London Borough of Bexley
London Borough of Bexley
The London Borough of Bexley lies in south east Greater London, and is a borough referred to as part of Outer London. It has common borders with the London Borough of Bromley to the south, the London Borough of Greenwich to the west, across the River Thames to the north it borders the London...
, and in 1996 it won a Queens Award for Export Achievement.
In 2000, the company, previously management and staff-owned, underwent a management buy-out and by 2001 a significant shift took place in the company's turnover as it moved towards public sector outsourcing commissions. In 2001 it was floated on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
.
In 2002, Parkman was named Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
New Company of the Year and the following year it was named as one of the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For.
Parkman Group plc's acquisitions included education consultant Full Circle in May 2002 and lighting design consultancy Atkins Odlin in July 2003.
Mouchel
Mouchel
Mouchel Group plc is a multinational infrastructure and business services company headquartered in Woking, United Kingdom. It operates in sectors including highways, business process outsourcing, water, property, housing, education, waste, environmental and local government consultancy services in...
plc and Parkman Group plc announced plans to merge on 21 August 2003: the merger was completed in September 2003, forming the new company, Mouchel Parkman
Mouchel
Mouchel Group plc is a multinational infrastructure and business services company headquartered in Woking, United Kingdom. It operates in sectors including highways, business process outsourcing, water, property, housing, education, waste, environmental and local government consultancy services in...
plc.