April 2016: Actavo

Sean Corkery, chairman and CEO, Actavo

A US expansion drive heralds growth in the former Siteserv’s networks and fibre optics capabilities.

Actavo, the former Siteserv, is perhaps best known for work in the construction, infrastructure and services sectors. However, with the inking of a new deal in March the company’s growth has taken on a high-tech slant as it has acquired a key division of the US-based Atlantic Engineering Group. The deal unlocks extensive in-house networks and fibre optics expertise in the US, and gives it access to 120 network design engineers.

“This is a red letter day in Actavo’s evolution, explained TJ Malone, CEO of Actavo’s Network and In-Home Division. “Our division began with operations in Ireland, before expanding into the UK and the Caribbean. With this acquisition now forming a critical strand of our international, end-to-end capabilities, we are confident of establishing a formidable presence in North America and making significant strides globally in the design, build and connectivity of fibre optic networks.”

It is the company’s first expansion into the US market, and it now has operations in over 100 locations worldwide, and a workforce of over 5,000. The company said that the acquisition will enhance its service to existing clients in Ireland, the UK, the Caribbean and Kazakhstan, and serve as a platform in the US. It predicts that in just over three years total homes passed by fibre will almost double to 52 million in the US, with the number of homes connected almost doubling to 24 million.

STRATEGIC MILESTONE

“Actavo’s acquisition represents a significant and strategic milestone in our company’s growth plan,” said chairman and CEO Sean Corkery. “The US is an important, dynamic market for us – we see strong demand in North America for the telecommunications solutions we can now offer. This is a logical next step for us at this time and takes Actavo into new areas, both geographically and in terms of our customer proposition. I look forward to working closely with our new colleagues in providing end-to-end solutions to the telecommunications sector across the US and internationally.”

James H Salter, president of the Atlantic Engineering Group, also welcomed the move. “This is an exciting and transformative development for us,” he said. “Being acquired by Actavo, an international company, takes our business to a new level in terms of global connectivity, exposure to new business prospects and growth potential. Actavo’s mission is to become the preferred engineering solutions partner for the world’s leading companies. We can be proud of now being an integral part of that mission, and we can look forward to working within Actavo into the future.”

Actavo is divided into six divisions: Network, In-Home, Industrial, Hire and Sales, Building and Events. It rebranded last year, the result of a two-year process of review and reform across the group, according to Corkery: “We are aiming to be the preferred strategic operations service partner for the world’s leading companies,” he said. The company’s clients include Sky, Virgin Media, Digicel, MCD, Electric Picnic, Web Summit, Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Electric Ireland, Aurora Telecom, PrePayPower and Clear Channel.