Scalability is a perennial problem for many companies in Scotland. How to exploit new markets, grow more efficiently and expand market presence? For property and construction consultancy Thomas & Adamson (T&A), the solution in May was joining global architectural, advisory, construction engineering and mobility services specialists Egis Group.

Thomas & Adamson has a history that stretches back to 1935 and with a team of more than 100 located across Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and the Middle East, acquisition by the larger firm was a dynamic opportunity to embark on larger-scale projects across a broader range of services – enhancing its role in the fast-developing sustainability and decarbonisation sector and in its advisory services in the UK and other significant markets.

For Zander Muego, who joined the firm 24 years ago as a trainee and is now the director responsible for leading the company in the UK market, it was a historic strategic move, both personally and on a corporate level.

He explains that the acquisition by Egis will further plans for T&A’s geographic expansion, particularly in London and the North of England, while maintaining its core services and client relationships – while the integration will also enhance technological capabilities and career growth opportunities for staff.

“We had been considering ways of growing the firm, including the M&A route, but when we were introduced to the Egis team and started a conversation with them, they immediately felt like a really good fit,” he says.

“They had very ambitious plans to grow the business across the globe but importantly from my viewpoint, also in the UK, which fitted well with what we were doing and with the advantage of their size and scale, new firepower to enable that.

“All things considered, it was an excellent opportunity and a good alignment of our cultural values and wider business goals that all made sense.”

T&A, he says, is used to adapting to change. “We operate across the public and private sectors and what makes us very resilient to difficult market conditions is the fact that if one sector falls away, then typically there are others we can continue to build on.”

The core of T&A’s experience he says is in the private side, such as hotels and residential projects, represented both by build to rent, social housing, student accommodation and residential infrastructure.

“Workplace is also a significant sector for T&A and we’ve done a lot of large-scale, new-build office developments and several schools.”

The firm also has a growing portfolio in the healthcare sector and more recently has focused on decarbonisation and front-end consultancy, with strategic advisory services for the public sector.

Illustrating that, a diverse portfolio has included the new Easthouses Primary School in Midlothian, various projects as part of BT’s Better Workplace Programme throughout the UK and overseeing the UK’s first Virgin Hotel in Edinburgh’s Old Town – plus the delivery of more than £4 billion of residential projects over the past five years.

“There’s certainly not a typical day or week or month at T&A, emphasises Mr Muego. “It’s exceptionally varied – which is an important part of our business model.”

Part of that diversity involved his moving to the UAE for nine years in 2009 when T&A was establishing its Abu Dhabi presence. “I went there at the inception of forming the office and it was an incredible life experience, giving me exposure to a very different culture, both on a human and business level,” he says.

“As the marketplace in the Middle East operates very differently, I learned a lot about other ways of delivering projects and approaching clients – an incredibly interesting experience.

“There was a lot to absorb in entering a new market and growing the business there, drawing on the service we offer, exploring what really lies at the core of how we deliver it – and building relationships while making sure we stay true to our core values, whatever marketplace or sector we’re operating in.”

Parent firm Egis clearly states that its aim is to “work side by side with clients to build a more balanced, sustainable and resilient world” – which very much resonates with T&A’s ambitions and strategy.

“The area of decarbonisation and sustainability is probably one of the most significant facing the planet and certainly one of the biggest challenges for our industry,” says Mr Muego.

“T&A has been increasingly involved in working with clients at both the strategic level, looking at portfolios of both new and existing buildings – which is where our building surveyors come in, drawing on the support of our other disciplines to determine how we can go through a programme of decarbonising existing estates or approaching new build.

“In other words, how do you approach projects in a sustainable way that is considerate to the environment?”

Egis, he adds, has an ESG team based in Paris that works internationally, including in the UK. “They bring a level of thinking and development in terms of their ESG credentials that as a smaller, independent business we might have struggled to keep up with.

“That both impacts the way in which we operate but also much of the thought leadership that we’ll be able to bring into our project delivery work which is a positive part of the joining up of the two businesses.

“Egis has also been developing its ability to use AI and new technology, so I think with that access we’ll be able to unlock an even stronger, more exciting version of T&A over the next few years.”

The drive toward sustainability is of course integral to the need for regeneration in our city and town centres – which have faced severe challenges resulting from factors such as the migration from the high street to online shopping, the hammer blow of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis which has impacted businesses, services and shared spaces.

“Regenerating our town centres is a UK-wide challenge and there are now both private developers and public sector entities all very focused on the need to work in partnership in this field,” he says.

“And whether it’s a healthcare or leisure proposition, the high street is no longer just about retail. There’s also the factor of connecting that to your energy strategy, all of which needs some deep thinking and drive to make it happen.

“We’re working with various authorities, looking not only at the strategy to achieve that but how it’s transformed into the delivery of a construction project, which is at the core of what we do as a business. That’s something that I see growing and becoming a big part of what we do as a business over the next few years,” says Mr Muego.

He adds: “There are so many stakeholders involved in these projects that getting the right people around the table to communicate and develop plans that can come together in a coherent way is a big challenge.”

He says the firm is actively engaging with school leavers and bringing in apprentices. “I started as a trainee – which would be called a modern apprentice now – so I’ve personally experienced the benefits of bringing people into the industry in that way.

“Having started in the sector more than 20 years ago with T&A, working in various roles, sectors and locations, I’m keen to make sure we keep giving people the opportunity to continue growing because of our new partnership with Egis while staying true to the roots of what T&A is. That’s an exciting prospect.”