Iqarus has added the United Nations (UN) and Nato to its client base after completing its second takeover of 2016, the Aberdeen-based occupational healthcare business said yesterday.
Bosses at Iqarus said the acquisition of remote medical support provider Exmed would “propel” the company into some of the world’s most difficult operating environments.
Iqarus declined to give a price for the takeover of Exmed, which has supported operations as far afield as Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Siberia, but did reveal talks with other takeover targets were at an “advanced stage”.
The agreement with Exmed marks the latest step in Iqarus’s ambitious growth plans. Just over two months ago Iqarus celebrated its purchase of Fife-based occupational hygiene consultancy C-CHEC.
At the time, Iqarus chief executive Tim Mitchell said the deal for C-CHEC would be the first of a string of buyouts aimed at doubling the firm’s workforce of 150 by the end of the second or third quarter.
Jeff Soal, chief strategic development officer at Iqarus, said the transfer of Exmed’s operations, its client base and its team would be “completely seamless”. The addition of Herefordshire-based Exmed’s 20 full-time staff members and its pool of medical contractors takes Iqarus’s head count “north of 250”, Mr Soal said.
Furthermore, Exmed directors Ged Healy and Dai Jones, who founded the business in 2004, will also join Iqarus.
Exmed’s customers include media organisations such as the BBC and Discovery Channel, and government and humanitarian agencies such as the UN, Nato, Save the Children and the Red Cross. Exmed, which will be rebranded as part of the acquisition, also trains more than 2,000 people a year and is set to open a new centre of excellence in July. The centre contains a fully-simulated, two-story street for replicating “mass incident scenarios” – which could mean anything from a natural disaster to a terrorist attack – while arctic, jungle and desert scenarios can also be set up.
Mr Mitchell said: “Our ambition since launching Iqarus has been to rapidly grow into a global provider of health solutions in the world’s difficult and remote environments.
“The acquisition of Exmed is a catalyst for our international expansion. The team are amongst the most highly regarded providers of healthcare in challenging locations.
“The calibre of international humanitarian and government customers that they serve and the level of trust that they command in the market is a testament to their skill and professionalism.”
Iqarus was set up last year following the acquisition of a business owned by outsourcing giant Capita. The takeover was led by Mr Mitchell’s management team and MML Capital Partners. Since September, Iqarus has invested more than £1million in new technology and hired a chief operation officer.