Danish cleaning and services company ISS continues its acquisitive streak by buying cleaning companies in the UK and continental Europe.

ISS has bought British Southdown Cleaning & Maintenance plc (SCM) which employs 2,200 and German Piepenbrock group’s cleaning companies which employs 5,500 in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Established in 1984 by the now retired MD Brian Reid, SCM had a turnover of DKK 170m (£13.8m) last year. The company provides cleaning services, facility and grounds maintenance and other complementary services for local and central government administration and corporate and commercial customers.

With a total turnover of DKK 248m (£20.2m), the European companies’ range of services includes general cleaning and multi-service, food hygiene, hospital and industrial cleaning.

ISS says the acquisition of SCM will increase the company’s value in the UK public sector and that the European acquisition will strengthen the company’s presence in Europe.

Jessica Jarlvi