Tough conditions but Atkins showing resilience

DESIGN and engineering consultancy WS Atkins said it is performing well despite tough markets.

The group, which has offices in Leeds, Sheffield and York, helps build big projects such as London’s 2012 Olympic site and Bahrain World Trade Center.

The global consultancy said Government spending cuts have had the greatest impact on its highways business, where it continues to cut jobs. “We continue to adjust our resources to reflect anticipated market demand,” said the group.

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It expects to end the year with around 17,700 staff, with about half of these in the UK.

Atkins added it is trading in line with its expectations.

The company said its water business is growing its workload as water companies invest in infrastructure; aerospace is also growing and its rail division is operating in a well-funded market.

It has experienced tough trading conditions in Ireland and Portugal but sees good opportunities for its European business in Scandinavia.

“We are investing in growth markets and continue to benefit from our geographic and sector diversification,” said the group.

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The group bought US design firm PBSJ for $280m (£176m) last year.

It said that PBSJ’s trading in the past four months has been in line with expectations, and the company added: “provides an excellent platform for growth in the largest economy in the wor- ld”.

The group employs around 600 staff in Yorkshire.