Johnston Houston will now trade for 12 months as ‘Johnston Houston – Part of Drees & Sommer’, before becoming simply Drees & Sommer next year. Johnston Houston partners Michael Johnston and Kerr Houston are staying with the business.
The planned rebrand follows the pattern set by Drees & Sommer with its acquisition of Manchester-based AA Projects in 2022.
Drees & Sommer is a German built environment consultant that opened a London office in 2017. Worldwide it has 6,000 employees across 63 offices.
Johnston Houston, founded in Belfast in 2007, has a team of 25 building surveyors, cost consultants and project managers.
Drees & Sommer UK managing director Kenneth Wood said: “The acquisition of Johnston Houston greatly strengthens our position in the Irish market and enhances our ability to offer a diverse range of services across the island. This important move representing a crucial milestone in our growth across the UK and Ireland, and we are thrilled to welcome Johnston Houston to the Drees & Sommer family.”
Michael Johnston said: “Joining forces with Drees & Sommer is a tremendous opportunity for everyone involved with Johnston Houston. Our combined expertise and resources will allow us to deliver even greater value to our clients while maintaining the personal and proactive service they have come to expect.
“We are extremely grateful to everyone who has contributed to Johnston Houston over the years and are excited about the future and the new opportunities this partnership will bring.”
His business partner Kerr Houston added: “This merger will be an excellent opportunity for both our clients and staff to be part of an international organisation with very deep layers of expertise and experience across the full range of construction services.
“Both Michael and I are very much looking forward to developing Drees & Sommer in our market, remaining totally committed to our clients and offering our staff all the opportunity that comes with being part of a global business.”
Drees & Sommer acquired AA Projects incrementally in 2022 and 2023 but didn’t rebrand AA until March this year. [See previous report here.]
