Pillar Fire deal fuels Harley Haddow's growth plans

A multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy has strengthened its specialist capabilities with the acquisition of a fire engineering business.

Harley Haddow has bought Glasgow-based Pillar Fire, adding fire engineering and fire risk management to its national service offering as part of its wider growth strategy.

Fire engineering specialist Kevin McKeown will lead the new division, bringing his existing clients and industry relationships to the consultancy.

The move comes amid growing demand for specialist expertise following changes to the Building Safety Act and wider post-Grenfell regulatory reforms.

Bringing the capability in-house will allow fire engineers to work alongside Harley Haddow’s structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical and sustainability teams from the early stages of projects.

The service will support clients from initial concept and design through construction and occupation to the wider lifecycle of buildings.

Its expertise will include performance-based fire engineering, fire strategy, smoke control and computational fluid dynamics across sectors including healthcare, defence and high-hazard environments.

Kevin said: “The fire engineering market is experiencing significant demand, but there simply aren't enough qualified professionals to deliver the work that is out there.

“The industry has also changed significantly in recent years, with greater emphasis on competency, accountability and getting fire safety right from the beginning of a project.

“Good fire engineering should be integrated into a building's design rather than bolted on afterwards. 

“The best solutions are often those you don't notice at all, allowing buildings to meet the highest safety standards without compromising the architect's vision. 

“That multidisciplinary approach is one of the reasons Harley Haddow is such a natural fit. 

“I’m looking forward to bringing our expertise and existing client relationships into the business.”

Harley Haddow operates from eight UK offices, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Bristol, Inverness, Fort William and Birmingham.

Marc McLuskey, director at Harley Haddow, added: “We are always asked by clients and peers who we would recommend for fire engineering, so bringing this expertise into the business is a natural next step.

“Kevin brings an established client base, deep sector expertise and a strong reputation in the market, allowing us to respond to that demand while strengthening our multidisciplinary offering. 

“This is an important area of growth for Harley Haddow and we see significant potential to develop the new service nationally, while continuing to focus on the quality of work and client relationships we are known for.”

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