NewsOct 23, 2026, 15:42 UTC

Stonbury buys Derbyshire's Thompsons Group in water buy-and-build push

What's the deal? LDC-backed Stonbury has acquired Derbyshire's Thompsons Group, bringing 50 employees into the Bedfordshire-headquartered water and environmental specialist. Financial terms were not disclosed.

What's the endgame? The deal expands Stonbury's capabilities into arboriculture and environmental services. It extends a buy-and-build strategy that earlier added water-asset inspection and cleaning through the purchase of Panton McLeod.

Why now? The acquisition follows fresh investment in Stonbury from private equity firm LDC, which reinvested alongside new minority co-investor Federated Hermes in September 2026. That funding explicitly backed further acquisitions.

The signal: The deal reflects rising investor interest in essential water infrastructure, as ageing assets and tighter scrutiny of leakage and pollution draw capital — seen also in H.I.G.'s purchase of contractor Avove and EQT's investment in Yorkshire Water's parent. For Stonbury, it is execution of a funded expansion plan rather than a one-off.