Mott MacDonald enters into agreement to acquire Australian civil contractor Leed Engineering & Construction

Building a stronger platform for integrated water delivery

Mott MacDonald, the global employee owned engineering consultancy, has entered into an agreement to acquire Leed Engineering & Construction, a privately owned civil contractor delivering projects in metropolitan, regional and remote areas of Australia.  

The partnership will enable Mott MacDonald and Leed to offer a wholly integrated design and construction team, with a particular focus on the provision and remediation of water infrastructure assets.

Leed is a multi-disciplinary engineering and construction company, specialising in complex infrastructure projects. Founded in 2001, the business has grown rapidly to become a national infrastructure contractor with a team of over 350 people and offices in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

The company has extensive civil construction experience across water, dams, environmental works, roads, bridges and general earthworks as well as related engineering, construction methodology, planning and design. It is a delivery partner for SA Water, Coliban Water, Snowy Hydro Ltd and Future Generations as well as state-based climate, environment and water departments.

L to R: Steve Tetlow, director, JN Bentley; Andrew Millar, chairman of the board, Leed; Adrian Jones, regional managing director, Asia Pacific, New Zealand and Australia, Mott MacDonald; and Craig Laslett, managing director, Leed. 

In the UK, Mott MacDonald has already established Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) as a combined design and contracting team. With nearly 3,000 people, it provides fully integrated civil engineering feasibility, design, construction and commissioning services to the UK water sector.

Through this acquisition, Mott MacDonald aims to strengthen its business in Australia, mirroring the success of its UK-based design and build construction business – enhancing the integrated delivery of water projects through the specialist expertise brought by Leed’s talented team.

Craig Laslett, Leed’s managing director, and his team of experienced engineers, project managers and skilled construction workforce will remain. Leed will continue to operate with its existing management team and structure, whilst drawing on the integrated design and build expertise of JN Bentley and Mott MacDonald to strengthen its market position and service offering.

Adrian Jones, Mott MacDonald’s regional managing director for Asia Pacific, New Zealand and Australia said: “There is a significant demand for new and upgraded infrastructure across Australia and particularly in the water sector. By combining the capabilities of Mott MacDonald and Leed it takes our technical expertise to the next level, enabling us to provide a fully integrated design and construction offering to our clients in this space.”

Paul Bentley, JN Bentley managing director said: “Leed has built an impressive reputation across Australia for delivering high quality, technically challenging projects, and their expertise is well aligned with our own commitment to safe, reliable and innovative delivery. This acquisition is an opportunity to strengthen Mott MacDonald’s contracting offering, supported by JN Bentley’s 53-year construction heritage and the success of our design and build business, Mott MacDonald Bentley.”

Craig Laslett, Leed managing director said: “Leed is pleased to be joining JN Bentley, part of the Mott MacDonald Group, at a time of significant investment in water and civil infrastructure across Australia. With a shared focus on delivering quality outcomes for clients, our combined capabilities will support the delivery of complex water infrastructure projects across Australia.”