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FIRST FOR PETERHOUSE
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 With a turnover in excess of £200 million, the purchase of First Engineering has been the largest acquisition by Peterhouse to date. One of the UK's largest engineering service providers and the only remaining independent integrated infrastructure contractor, the business provides total solutions in the property, communications, energy and transportation sectors. The company's key specialism though, lies in the rail industry, where the Strategic Rail Authority has outlined a £33.5 billion investment plan over the next ten years, representing huge opportunities for the future.
First Engineering is ranked among the top rail infrastructure service providers nationally, reporting some of the best performance figures in the UK. Operating in the safety critical environment of the railway, the company has invested heavily in rigorous procedures, which exceed legislative requirements and to-date its safety record is second to none.
First Engineering's activities are a perfect fit with the operations of Peterhouse and the company brings with it a unique level of expertise and knowledge, together with the additional volume, which will make the Group a truly cross-sector infrastructure specialist, capable of operating throughout the entire UK.
Historically a Scottish-based company, First Engineering now has regional offices in Glasgow, Manchester, Crewe, Birmingham, Wigan and London and is currently delivering projects from Wick in the North of Scotland to the Channel Tunnel Rail Link in the South East of England. Additionally, the company has depots at key locations to support specific projects, such as at Swindon, Dagenham, Leeds and Birkenhead as well as throughout Scotland and the North West of England, to ensure adequate coverage for the major maintenance contracts.
Although a very modern, progressive company, First Engineering has a 150-year history of providing engineering services. The company was created from a management employee buyout in 1996 from British Rail's former Scottish Infrastructure Services Unit. It was then backed by three major organisations, namely the Weir Group, 3i and the Bank of Scotland. Turnover has grown organically since then, from £93 million to £206 million and the company now employs over 2,700 people.
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