More growth in the pipeline for Hydrohire following sale to Ipsum

Hydrohire Ltd, which comprises pipeline specialists twoH and ExcelCS, has become the fourth company sold by KBS Corporate to Ipsum Group in less than two years.

Based in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, the two businesses that form Hydrohire bring complementary strengths across commissioning services, pipelaying and specialist equipment supply.

twoH provides specialist commissioning equipment for hire and sale, including pressure test pumps, chlorination units and associated products.

ExcelCS, founded in 2002, delivers clean water commissioning and pipelaying services, supporting the installation, testing and commissioning of critical water assets.

Together, they combine field delivery, equipment provision and digital coordination within a single clean-water offering – which will now be further developed through Ipsum’s national footprint.

Following a transaction advised by Luke Rae, KBS Corporate Deal Executive, twoH and ExcelCS will operate within Ipsum’s Water & Infrastructure Division, representing another step in the Chorley-based group’s continued growth.

Since August 2024, Ipsum have also acquired Site Energy, Wootton & Wootton and Parco via KBS-advised sales.

“Joining Ipsum Group allows us to expand our clean-water capability and extend the reach of our technical expertise,” said Ian McDonald, Managing Director of twoH and ExcelCS.

“Both businesses have built strong reputations for technical delivery and customer service, and this partnership enables further investment in people, capability and growth.

“The combination of ExcelCS’s field expertise with twoH’s equipment and digital platform, alongside Ipsum’s scale, creates a strong platform for continued development in the water sector.”

Ipsum operates across Water, Power, Infrastructure and Control & Automation, delivering engineering services that improve asset performance, enhance operational resilience and support critical infrastructure delivery.

“This is an important step for Ipsum as it further enhances the specialist capabilities within our Water & Infrastructure division, complementing our established wastewater expertise and strengthening our offering across the water sector,” said Andrew Cowan, Ipsum Group’s CEO.

“The acquisition forms part of Ipsum’s strategy to continually expand its specialist infrastructure services and strengthen its position in the UK water market.

“By bringing together complementary capabilities across clean and wastewater infrastructure, the Group is able to offer customers an even broader range of services that are critical to the safe, efficient and reliable operation of their assets.”

KBS Corporate’s Luke Rae commented: “It was a pleasure to work with all parties on this deal and I anticipate a very bright future for everyone at Hydrohire as part of the Ipsum Group.”