Glanua’s growth strategy drives workforce and market expansion
With a projected turnover of over €150m for 2024, Glanua is investing in its workforce and setting its sights on utilities and industrial customers beyond Ireland and the UK. KARL ZIMMERER, Group Managing Director, speaks with Robbie Cousins about the company’s growth strategy.
Glanua is a leading provider of innovative and sustainable engineering solutions for critical water and wastewater infrastructure across Ireland and the UK. Headquartered in Galway, with a manufacturing facility in Navan and offices in Britain and Northern Ireland, the company employs over 530 people directly.
From design and construction to operation and maintenance, Glanua offers the full spectrum of services. Its dedicated offsite manufacturing and innovation facility in Navan enables it to excel in Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) and machine-building for innovative water and wastewater treatment solutions.
A new era at Glanua
In 2022, the group was formally acquired by Denis Brosnan’s BHSL Group. At the time of the acquisition, Brosnan set out a vision to build an integrated, sustainable environmental solutions company with a turnover of €400m by 2028.
Karl Zimmerer
In August 2023, the group rebranded, consolidating Glan Agua Ltd, Glan Agua UK Ltd, Hydro International Ltd and MEIC Ltd under the unified Glanua brand.
Long-time managing director and co-founder of Glan Agua, Karl Zimmerer, was appointed group managing director of the new company. He and his senior management team put in place an ambitious strategic plan to expand the company through a mix of strategic acquisitions, finding synergies and bringing its in-house expertise to bear to give customers greater value-added service solutions.
The company is recruiting locally in Ireland and bringing in highly qualified engineering professionals from countries such as the Philippines. It also has established a two-year fast-track post-graduate programme that brings engineering graduates to a level where they can fast-track into project management roles. This is very important for Karl Zimmerer, as he says there has been a dearth of experienced Irish-based engineers in the past 10 years because of students being advised to stay away from construction in the wake of the last downturn.
Speaking first about the changes that have taken place within the company, Karl Zimmerer says Glanua has been growing exponentially in the past couple of years, and this is set to continue.
Zimmerer comments: “The acquisition of Glan Agua by the BHSL Group was formally concluded in February 2022. The work that the individual businesses of the group had been doing in positioning themselves with key industry sectors and customers was then consolidated under the one Glanua umbrella in August 2023 with a clear focus on what we wanted to do, particularly in the water and wastewater engineering space.
“As Glanua, we are ideally placed to offer our customers, be they utility providers, local authorities or industrial customers, integrated and innovative business solutions. Within the Glanua team, we have extensive engineering and business expertise and experience to meet customers’ needs across design, engineering, manufacturing and construction solutions. These solutions are not only tailored to meet the regulatory compliance needs in the UK and Ireland, but they also address broader community and economic development needs. By investing in water and wastewater infrastructure, we help drive economic development needs. Whatever the challenge, we have solutions and that has become the DNA of our group.”
The company’s turnover increased by 50% for the year to December 2023, and it has opened four new offices in Belfast, Cork, Reading and London.
He says: “We are now delivering on the objectives set out in our five-year strategic business plan. Between 2022 and 2023, we doubled our turnover, and we will see further growth in 2024 with a turnover in excess of €150m.
“We’ve also trebled our workforce, going from 176 people in February 2022 to 530 staff across the UK and Ireland. So, it’s been a very exciting time for the group, providing huge opportunities for our people to develop.”
Glanua customers
Glanua is the go-to partner for major water utilities in Ireland and the UK, including Uisce Éireann. It is also a tier-one contractor for Thames Water and Yorkshire Water, Northern Ireland Water and most recently, United Utilities and Northumbrian Water.
In the industrial sector, its customers include names such as ABP, Tirlán, WuXi Biologics, Kerry Group and other key players in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and distillery industries in Ireland and the UK.
Glanua acquisition strategy
Glanua’s acquisition strategy has contributed considerably to its rapid growth. Karl Zimmerer says the most recent UK acquisition of Bradford-based Aqua Operations will enhance its capacity to scale its industrial business and increase its presence in the UK’s water and wastewater industry. This acquisition came less than a month after Glanua announced it had received significant funding from Rabobank to support its expansion plans.
Karl Zimmerer comments, “We were delighted to receive significant strategic funding from Rabobank. Partnering with such a reputable bank is a huge endorsement and reflects the substantial potential for future growth that Glanua continues to demonstrate. A core part of our partnership with Rabobank is based on our shared values around sustainability.
“The funding will ensure Glanua is well positioned to capitalise on the increased importance of environmental action and the emerging benefits of the circular economy, as we are committed to solving today’s environmental challenges and delivering a decarbonised and sustainable world.”
He adds: “As part of the strategy, we’re focused on providing innovative sustainable engineering solutions that can span the entire life cycle of projects, from concept and planning, through to design, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance, as well as decommissioning at end-of-life of water and wastewater plants. We see Glanua as a custodian of water resources and assets on behalf of our customers and communities.
“We have many operate and maintain contracts throughout Ireland and the UK. Aqua Operations has an impressive customer base for whom they have been providing operation, maintenance and technical services in the industrial sector of food, meat and dairy production sectors. So they are a natural fit for the Glanua.”
Glanua projects
Recent Glanua projects include Uisce Eireann’s 1A Water and 2A Wastewater Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) programme.
In the UK, Glanua has been engaged on projects at Greenwich Pumping Station and Crossness Sewage Treatment Plant, as well as providing tertiary treatment at the Blackburn Meadows Sewage Treatment Plant.
Industrial sector growth
With regulatory changes over the past 20 years, many manufacturers are looking for the best-in-class environmental compliance, and they engage service providers such as Glanua, which are best placed to operate and maintain their water and wastewater management processes.
Karl Zimmerer explains: “What we do exceptionally well is work closely with our industrial customer base to manage the overall performance of their facilities. For example, we support a pharmaceutical customer whose wastewater treatment plant is integral to its international compliance directive. Just as they strive to ensure their products meet FDA or EMA approval. They also prioritise achieving rigorous environmental standards. We provide value-added expertise that helps these customers in Ireland and the UK improve their operational and cost efficiencies, maintain compliance, and reach their own sustainability goals.”
Infrastructure for housing
Karl Zimmerer is president of the Water Services Operation Group, a subcommittee within the CIF and an active member of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA). Through these bodies he is engaging with the government and Uisce Eireann around meeting infrastructure needs for housing.
However, Zimmerer is greatly concerned about the lack of foresight at government level regarding the requirement for water infrastructure to deliver housing. He believes that Uisce Eireann is doing a fantastic job despite being hamstrung by insufficient annual budgets, which in 2024 was not increased as had been set out in the NDP.
“It is very frustrating to see the unrealistic perceptions about what is required to deliver water and wastewater infrastructure for new housing. Following years of underinvestment, it is often perceived that the current state of our national water and wastewater infrastructure requires approximately €15bn to get to today’s requirements for our economy. However, I believe that this figure does not consider the needs of the Housing for All plan, population and economic growth, and ever-changing environmental standards. Realistically, the government needs to invest multiples of this number.
“Since its formation in 2014, Uisce Eireann has done a phenomenal work. They often face criticism from many quarters. But, as the majority of work on these projects is below ground and not visible, the extent of their achievements is vastly underappreciated. They have inherited assets that have suffered from generations of lack of investment.
“If you look at our NDP and the plans for the strategic growth of Dublin, there is only one source supplying the whole greater Dublin region, the River Liffey. The security of this source remains a major risk for the country, and while Glanua is assisting Uisce Eireann in the upgrade of its two largest treatment plants – Leixlip and Ballymore Eustace – that supply Dublin, it remains a huge risk for the region.
“The Dublin region needs a new water supply from the Shannon, which is expected to commence planning approvals, while a new wastewater treatment plant as part of the Greater Dublin Drainage Scheme is currently held up in a protracted planning process. Ensuring government support for the planning process and a realistic funding plan will be essential.”
He adds that it is a similar situation across all the regions, with most areas’ water and wastewater systems at or near capacity. “If a new housing development requires a water or wastewater connection in a town or village, it is very much dependent on getting the connections from Uisce Eireann, which may be unavailable due to capacity issues.
“As we all know, there is a massive infrastructure deficit across the country. If we are to add capacity for economic development and housing, a total change in mindset is needed at the governmental level with regulatory reform to ensure this can happen. This shift must prioritise increased collaboration, long-term long-term planning, multi-year investment plans and innovative approaches.”
Innovation at Glanua
Karl Zimmerer says that an example of such a change in mindset and culture is the introduction of ECI by Uisce Eireann, highlighting that ECI has brought about many innovative and cost-effective solutions.
He explains: “Uisce Eireann’s ECI programme has greatly benefited the sector and facilitated faster and more efficient project delivery. If, for instance, Uisce Eireann needs a water or wastewater treatment plant upgrade, the ECI process allows them to significantly fast-track how they would otherwise do it.
“Unlike traditional models where contractors are introduced during or after the design phase, ECI brings experienced contractors on board from the inception of a project.
“Traditionally, the process involved appointing consultants to prepare a generic design for planning, which was very time-consuming. Following this, tender-stage drawings would be created for pricing, and then a contractor would be appointed to deliver the project.
“ECI has revolutionised this approach by eliminating much of the drawn-out traditional process. By involving us early, we can collaborate directly with planners, leverage our expertise, and deliver innovative solutions that significantly save time and costs. It’s a much more proactive approach that leads to better project outcomes.”
One project that benefitted greatly from the ECI programme was the Boherbue Wastewater Treatment Plant in Co Cork. Working in collaboration with Uisce Eireann and Cork County Council, Glanua undertook the comprehensive project to modernise and enhance the treatment plant’s capacity, addressing the overloaded and outdated infrastructure while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and meeting the evolving needs of the community.
Key features of the upgraded facility include new inlet works, a stormwater tank, biological treatment processes and tertiary solids removal systems. Leveraging the ECI framework allowed for the integration of innovative solutions such as solar energy, natural sludge-drying reed beds, and the preservation of constructed wetlands for stormwater overflow. Karl Zimmerer comments: “This approach set a new standard for sustainable wastewater treatment and ensured long-term environmental benefits for Boherbue and its natural surroundings.”
Glanua Graduate Programme
A source of great pride for Karl Zimmerer is the comprehensive post-graduate programme that Glanua has developed. It gives participants critical experience in all aspects of projects from start to finish, setting them up to step into project management roles early in their careers.
He explains the genesis of the programme. “In 2007, one of the local universities in the west of Ireland had approximately 110 engineering graduates. When the crash came, every student was warned, ‘Whatever you do, don’t study construction or civil engineering in college’.”
He continues: “In 2014, that same university had seven engineering graduates. Another local college only had one. So, if I am looking for somebody with 10 or 12 years of experience in this country, they don’t exist. There is a massive deficit in capability and competency in the sector across all construction disciplines. We see our post-graduate programme as a crucial part of the future viability of our business and that of the wider construction industry.
“We give graduates the opportunity to get comprehensive practical experience. The programme covers the entire life cycle of projects from concept through to design, planning, process engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and operations.
“Within the two-year programme, we ensure that all of our graduates, whatever discipline, are going to see the whole life cycle of projects. We also have business management and leadership modules and provide experience of working abroad.
“We are very proud of the programme and feel it gives graduates comprehensive and practical experience, which will fasttrack them to leadership roles within our company or the broader sector at the end of two years.”
Recruitment
Glanua is also continuously looking for experienced people at all levels, both locally and abroad. Earlier this year, it brought in 34 highly skilled people from the Philippines, who have already had a significant impact in the business. The firm’s recruitment team is currently back in the Philippines, looking to bring another cohort of people into the group.
Sustainability at Glanua
Karl Zimmerer comments that sustainability is a significant challenge in water and wastewater management. Maintaining and upgrading water processing systems and networks to minimise water loss is a big part of Glanua’s operations. With the company’s ability to provide operational and maintenance support to customers, every project is approached with a view to its entire operational lifecycle.
“One of the things we do well in Glanua is offer customers detailed options in terms of the scale of investment required across the lifetime of a plant or process system. “On recent schemes, we have priced solutions that meet current requirements while also anticipating future needs. We provide designs and costs for alternative solutions that align with net-zero and sustainability goals.
“By doing this, we aim to balance immediate needs with future demands. As I already said, we see ourselves as a resource custodian, whether that resource is water or wastewater.
“With wastewater, in an ideal world, a nature-based carbon-efficient solution with integrated reedbeds may be the right choice. However, these require vast amounts of land compared to alternative solutions.
“In the industrial sector, many companies are investing in recycling wastewater. We can manufacture and install wastewater plants that treat factory effluent to a high enough standard that it can be fully reused and recycled for other processes, achieving zero discharge and total water reuse within the facility.”
In conclusion
Karl Zimmerer highlights the exciting trajectory he sees for Glanua. “We have set ambitious targets, and I am confident in our ability to achieve them. Glanua offers our people unparalleled professional growth and development opportunities, providing them with the necessary resources and support. By strategically acquiring and investing in the coming years, we aim to expand our global reach and deliver our cutting-edge engineering solutions and unparalleled service to customers worldwide,” Karl Zimmerer concludes.