Pont acquistion

Pont NV and industry leading offshore geoscience and geotechnical consultancy, Cathie Associates, are pleased to announce the acquisition of Cathie Associates by Pont.

Since Cathie Associates began trading in 2005, the company has experienced strong organic growth year on year. Operating from a number of offices across Europe, the company is now one of the largest independent offshore geoscience and geotechnical engineering consultancies worldwide. Pont will bring strategic and financial support to Cathie Associates to enable further growth and expansion both within and outside of Europe. Cathie Associates will continue as an independent specialist consultant in offshore and marine geoscience and geotechnical engineering, primarily to the offshore renewable energy, oil & gas and ports and harbours markets.

Cathie Associates principal and CEO David Cathie is delighted to have selected a suitable investor: "Pont is a small but dynamic investment company with other interests in subsea engineering and choice of them as our partner is the result of a thorough process of evaluating a number of options.

"Our aim has always been to develop a global consultancy company in our niche market of offshore geoscience and geotechnics. We have now reached a stage where we need to move into another phase of the growth process, and that opportunity will be provided by Pont. The acquisition will enable us to realise the original dream of a global network of offices operating in our sector, supplying services to developers, operators, and design and installation contractors."

Pont owner Bart Van Hooland is delighted with the acquisition: "Pont is an investor, but also a developer and a supporter of companies for the long term. We recognised that Cathie Associates is a strong company with a unique set of skills and a unique offering, poised with a fantastic foundation for future, international growth. I hope Pont can enable this vision and Pont, Cathie Associates, and our customers can benefit from that growth, all together."