Intertek acquire Port Maritime Security International (PMSi)

20 Apr 2006

Intertek International Limited has today acquired key assets of Port Maritime Security International Ltd (PMSi) (www.portmaritimesecurity.com) including the PMSi name and brand. PMSi was a wholly owned subsidiary of Eurotunnel plc and has over 10 years of cargo scanning experience at the Channel Tunnel between the United Kingdom and France.

PMSi provides training and consultancy services in cargo scanning and port security in compliance with international standards. Their skills and expertise will greatly enhance Intertek’s skills base and turnkey scanning solutions.

Cargo scanners help Customs and Security Services detect contraband and mis-declared goods in trucks and containers without the need for physical inspection. Increasing demands for more security in the supply chain has driven much higher global usage of cargo scanners.

In 2003, Intertek International identified the need for governments to introduce cargo scanners into their revenue and security inspection systems. Significant synergies exist between cargo scanning and existing Intertek inspection services such as pre-shipment inspection and certification to standards. Strategically Intertek has offered governments Build, Operate Transfer (BOT) or Public Private Partnership (PPP) solutions to meet their needs for cargo scanning. To date, Intertek have won 10-year BOT concessions in Sierra Leone and Guinea. PMSi have played a key part in the design, training and implementation of scanners in both contracts.

The acquisition of PMSi assets demonstrates Intertek’s commitment to the fast expanding cargo scanning market and the need of governments to introduce scanning effectively and efficiently with experienced partners.

About Intertek

Intertek is one of the world’s leading commodities and products testing companies, carrying out a wide range of testing, inspection and certification services. Intertek operate in 109 countries directly and in a further 16 countries through agents. The company has over 15,500 employees and about 9,000 subcontractor specialists, working in 321 laboratories and 566 offices around the world. Intertek is independent of any industrial firms, and has a rigorous compliance programme to ensure that all employees operate professionally and ethically.