Assent sells two businesses to German firm

Two businesses owned by Assent Building Compliance have been acquired by a Munich-headquartered certification company.

Certania Group announced this morning that it had acquired Clarke Banks and Xact Consultancy & Training, as it begins a strategic expansion into the UK buildings market.

Registered building control approver (RBCA) Clarke Banks was acquired by Assent in August 2023, while fire safety qualification, apprenticeships and training firm Xact was snapped up in December 2022.

The terms of the new deal have not been disclosed.

Both firms use small company rules to exempt them from publishing detailed financial information. Clarke Banks had net assets of £440,100 in its latest published accounts, for the year to 31 December 2024. Xact had net assets of £348,700 at the same time.

A statement from Certania said the companies would benefit from their new parent’s international reach to expand their growth and strengthen their position in the UK market.

Certania’s buildings businesses operate in France and the Netherlands, as well as in Germany. It also owns companies operating in industrial, life science, consumer goods, ESG certification and other sectors.

Certania chief executive Karsten Xander said: “With Clarke Banks and Xact, Certania gains both heritage and innovation – uniting technical regulatory and fire engineering expertise with compliance training and assurance. Together, they anchor our UK expansion strategy in buildings and infrastructure.”

Clarke Banks was founded in 2013 by Samuel Wright and Adam Melrose. It offers consultancy on building regulations and fire safety as well as being an RBCA.

Wright said that joining Certania would enable the company to “remain true to what has always set us apart – technical independence, strong governance and a commitment to quality – while gaining the scale and shared expertise of a wider group of like-minded specialist firms”.

Xact service delivery director Kelly Nock said: “This step ensures we continue to deliver trusted services to our clients while contributing to Certania’s expansion in the UK buildings and infrastructure segment.”

Construction News revealed in August that Assent chief executive Iain Thomson had stepped down from his role and directorships at 17 linked companies, including Xact and Clarke Banks.

Thomson had held the role since 2021 and oversaw the acquisitions of both companies.

The company came into the national spotlight last year after CN revealed that the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) had issued an industry alert after Assent BC failed to register as an RBCA. This, along with the insolvency of the unrelated AIS Surveyors, meant work on more than 50 ongoing projects classed as higher-risk had to stop.

Last year, the then Construction Industry Council Approved Inspectors Register (CICAIR) body twice sanctioned Assent BC for breaching its code of conduct. Neither sanction related to Xact or Clarke Banks.