RPS Group Limited | |
Former Name: | Rural Planning Services |
Type: | Limited company |
Foundation: | 1970 |
Location: | Abingdon-on-Thames, England |
Key People: | Ken Lever (Chairman) John Douglas (CEO) |
Revenue: | £560.4 million (2021)[1] |
Operating Income: | £28.3 million (2021) |
Net Income: | £5.9 million (2021) |
Num Employees: | 5,000 (2022)[2] |
Industry: | Environmental consulting, Upstream Oil and Gas and Renewable Energy consulting |
Parent: | Tetra Tech, Inc. |
Homepage: | www.rpsgroup.com |
RPS Group Limited is a global professional services firm of consultants and service providers, headquartered in Abingdon-on-Thames, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by Tetra Tech in January 2023.
RPS was founded in 1970, as Rural Planning Services,[3] with founder Michael Boddington as its first chief executive.[4] It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1987.[3]
In the late 20th century, the company expanded under the leadership of a later chief executive, Alan Hearne, and in 2001 he received the Financial Times / London Stock Exchange Entrepreneur of the Year award and company was nominated in the top four for PLC of the Year in the same awards.[5]
In August 2022, WSP Global made a takeover offer to purchase RPS Group for £591 million.[6] [7] [8] In September 2022, RPS received a counter takeover offer from Tetra Tech for £636 million[9] with WSP opting not to increase its bid.[10] RPS' shareholders voted to accept the Tetra Tech offer in November 2022[11] and it was approved by the court in January 2023.[12]