Celnor Group, a London-headquartered UK investor in entrepreneur-led businesses in the Testing, Inspection, Certification and Compliance (TICC) sector has completed the acquisition of Rural Solutions within its Built Environment Division.
Celnor was founded in 2023 by industry expert Simon Parrington and is backed by Inflexion Private Equity. The group of ambitious, entrepreneur-led businesses is one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing organisations in the TICC sector.
In just two years it has grown from a concept to a £200m-revenue international group, with over 35 specialist companies across 60 locations, 2,000 colleagues and operations in six countries, including its first US acquisition.
The group delivers essential data, consultancy and insights to more than 7,000 clients, helping protect people, property and the environment.
Celnor’s model centres on four divisions: Built Environment, Safety & Compliance, Risk Management and Analytical Sciences. It continues a fast-paced, high-growth journey built on a strategy of acquiring, protecting, integrating and growing specialist, entrepreneur-led businesses. Operational leadership is managed in the divisions, while Celnor provides the infrastructure to accelerate growth – from HR, finance and IT to marketing and M&A support.
Headquartered in Yorkshire, Rural Solutions is a leading multi-disciplinary firm providing specialist planning, architecture, landscape and consultancy services to enable high-quality rural development.
Rural Solutions operates nationally, bringing together a talented team of around 40 professionals – including consultants, planners, architects, landscape architects, property development experts, analysts and researchers – all dedicated to providing strategic advisory, planning and design services to maximise the value of rural land and property.
With a clear focus on creating vibrant and sustainable rural places, Rural Solutions works with estates, landowning institutions, private individuals, developers, property agents and leisure operators to deliver projects in high-value landscapes and heritage settings. Their expertise spans estate-scale strategy and master planning, heritage conservation, sustainable design, regenerative land management and the creation of exceptional country homes and experiences, leisure and commercial developments and quality rural housing.
From initial ideas to project delivery, these integrated services cover strategy, feasibility appraisals, business planning, the full range of planning, architecture and landscape architecture services to deliver planning consents, and project management through development and delivery. This holistic approach makes it a trusted partner for forward-thinking owners and managers of rural land and property.
William Fry, Managing Director of Rural Solutions, said: “Joining the Celnor Group is an exciting step for Rural Solutions. As a business dedicated to shaping the future of rural land and property, we see strong alignment with Celnor’s values and vision. Being part of the Built Environment division will allow us to enhance our offer by strengthening our ability to support our clients through access to a range of technical, environmental and professional property services from across the Group and continue to deliver creative and sustainable solutions for our clients and rural communities across the UK.”
Simon Parrington, CEO and Founder of Celnor, added: “I’m delighted to welcome Rural Solutions to the Celnor Group. Their specialist expertise in rural planning, design, and development adds real depth to our Built Environment division. With their national reputation, creative approach, and strong focus on rural communities, Rural Solutions complements our collective ambition to support clients in navigating their compliance and regulatory challenges across the built environment life cycle.”
The transaction concluded at the end of last year and Rural Solutions shareholders were advised by Ben Peacock and Adam Trevisani of Park Place, and Andrew Bradley and Megan Colvin of Brabners.
Find out more about Celnor.
