LONDON, UK – May 18, 2017 – Exova Group plc (now owned by Element Materials Technology), the global testing, calibration and advisory services provider, has acquired Defire Holdings Pty Ltd (Defire), a Sydney–based fire safety engineering consultancy business. Defire has been providing leading fire safety expertise to Australia’s building and infrastructure sectors for over 15 years and has built up an excellent reputation for both quality and service.

Defire has an award winning team of highly experienced fire safety engineering specialists with extensive knowledge and a commitment to providing outstanding service to a diverse customer base. The business delivers fire safety solutions that ensure compliance with regulations while retaining building design and integrity. Defire, which also has offices in Brisbane, Canberra and Perth, has a team of 26 experts and achieved revenues of around A$6m in 2016. The provision of fire safety consultancy is a key component of the Fire, Building Products and Certification sector’s strategy of offering an integrated suite of services that also includes testing, certification and inspection. Rob Veitch, Managing Director, Fire, Building Products & Certification at Exova, said: “The addition of Defire to our portfolio complements our current operations in Australia and adds significantly to our existing technical depth, which enables us to better support customers. It also extends Exova’s service offering into high value segments such as defence and enhances our geographic spread into new territories such as Canberra, providing the foundation for further growth in the region. This acquisition demonstrates our commitment to extending our service range and global reach, cementing our position as one of Australia’s leading fire testing and fire engineering businesses.” Jason Jeffress, Managing Director at Defire, said: “Becoming part of a global testing and advisory business is a great move for Defire, our team and our customers as it gives us greater depth and access to new capabilities and expertise. I look forward to working with Exova to continue to grow the business and take the Defire name and reputation to new levels.”

About Element

In June 2017, Element Materials Technology acquired Exova Group Limited to create one, world-class global testing services partner. Element specializes in providing a comprehensive range of materials and product qualification testing, consulting, certification and calibration services to the global Aerospace; Fire Building Products; Infrastructure & Environmental; Oil & Gas; and Transportation & Industrials sectors.

Element’s expanded network of 6,200 Engaged Experts operate out of nearly 200 laboratories in more than 30 countries and are trusted by organizations to test and advise on the safety, quality, performance and compliance of their products, systems and operations.

Media contacts

Diana Milford, External Communications Manager
T: +44 (0) 131 333 8052 / +44 (0) 7768 884 954
E: diana.milford@exova.com

Devan LaBrash, Pagoda Porter Novelli
T: +44 (0) 131 556 0770
E: devan.labrash@pagodapr.com