Wastewater treatment business WPL Limited has been acquired by Marlowe plc in a deal representing an enterprise value of £10 million.

WPL, founded in 1991, is a leading provider of wastewater treatment and compliance services across the UK, and was represented in the deal by the Southampton office of law firm Clarke Willmott LLP, which has acted for the business since 2005.

Gareth Jones, managing director of WPL, said: “We have worked with Kelvin Balmont and his team at Clarke Willmott for over 15 years, so we were happy to instruct them on the sale as they know the business so well. Kelvin, Emma Couch and the rest of the team worked hard to ensure that the transaction was completed quickly and effectively.”

Kelvin Balmont, head of Clarke Willmott’s corporate team in Southampton, said: “We were delighted to work on this acquisition deal for long-standing client WPL. Witnessing and being part of their growth over the past 15 years has been fantastic and we’re pleased that this major milestone was completed so smoothly.”

WPL is the latest in a series of bolt-on acquisitions by Marlowe, the UK leader in business-critical services and software which assure safety and regulatory compliance.

Alex Dacre, chief executive of Marlowe plc, said: "The acquisition of WPL marks another significant step in the development of our strategy for water and air compliance services. We look forward to the contribution that WPL will make to our continued growth in this market."

Corporate finance advice was provided by Paul Stout and Chris Potts of PKF Francis Clark.

Clarke Willmott is a national law firm with offices in Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton.

For more information visit www.clarkewillmott.com