Intertek acquires WISCO: Expands technical inspection services globally

18 Feb 2009

Intertek Group plc (Intertek), the leading provider of quality and safety solutions to a wide range of industries around the world, has acquired the WISco group of companies (WISco), specialists in third party inspection, expediting and coordination services for both onshore and offshore industrial facility construction and development.

WISco’s global network supports companies to ensure the quality and timeliness of their industrial projects and the expected performance of their suppliers, through vendor surveillance inspection, procured supplier expediting, project management, on-site installation and maintenance projects and coordination services. Services are provided across the engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance phase of industrial facilities to assure clients that products, assets and processes are properly surveyed and monitored for integrity and conformance with project specifications, and to avoid project-delay costs.

With over 120 full time staff based in locations across the USA, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and more than 600 freelance contractors, WISco delivers a global service to a wide range of blue chip oil, gas, petrochemical, power generation companies including refining, onshore and off-shore businesses. WISco also supports the oil and gas industry supplier markets of engineering, procurement and construction, metals and general fabrications, and the wider civil and structural engineering project markets’.

Third-party expediting and inspection services are in-demand globally as clients seek to reduce the risk of delay-associated costs, increase project performance and efficiency, now more than ever in the current market. Outsourcing ‘non-core’ technical inspection work can also enable clients to reduce large pools of internal qualified resources and associated costs.

Stefan Butz, Executive Vice President of Intertek’s Industrial Services division said " The acquisition of WISco comes at a strategic time for Intertek and our customers worldwide needing global technical inspection and expediting support to bring them new expertise, project efficiencies and cost-saving. WISco’s excellent team, global reach, reputation and expertise launches Intertek as a truly global player in technical inspection services, extending both our European operations and creating a platform across which we also offer our global asset integrity management services“

Larry Wiseman, President and founder of WISco said "Following 26 years of WISco's continued success and sustaining growth, becoming part of Intertek will bring new benefits to our valued client-base and talented staff. By combining our global resources, we will strengthen the breadth and depth of services we can offer customers and I look forward to helping drive forward the direction of our united business and the integral services our clients rely on.”

For further information on Intertek’s technical inspection services visit: www.wiscoinc.com and www.intertek.com/industrial

Contacts

For further information, please contact

Americas:
Larry Wiseman, President WISCO
Telephone: + 1 281 820 8066
larryw@WIScoglobal.com

Europe and Rest-of-World:
Jan Jorg Muller Seiler, President, Industry services
Telephone: +49 171 88 70 380
jan.mueller-seiler@intertek.com

About Intertek

Intertek (ITRK.L) is a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world. From auditing and inspection, to testing, quality assurance and certification, Intertek people are dedicated to adding value to customers' products and processes, supporting their success in the global marketplace. Intertek has the expertise, resources and global reach to support its customers through its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 23,000 people in 110 countries around the world.