What happened

Swiss family-owned building automation and engineering group Sauter has acquired a majority stake in 24-7 Group, a national M&E and integrated facilities management business, Construction Enquirer and The Construction Index reported this week. The deal completed on 16 October 2026. Founded by Andy Hawes in 2010, 24-7 Group has grown from an electrical contractor into a £70m turnover business employing more than 330 people, serving clients in retail, logistics, distribution, manufacturing and transport.

Sauter, founded in 1910 and employing more than 4,020 people across 40 subsidiaries, said the deal combines its international building automation and energy management expertise with 24-7 Group's UK engineering and facilities management base. Hawes remains chief executive and a shareholder, and the business will continue trading under its existing name and leadership. The acquisition extends Sauter's push into UK building services, following its purchase of building management specialist Electracom Projects in April 2026.

Why it matters

This is the second UK building services acquisition Sauter has made in six months, and it points to a pattern worth watching: European building automation and energy management groups buying into the UK M&E and FM market rather than building a UK presence from scratch. For a sector under pressure to deliver net zero retrofit and smarter building controls, that consolidation brings capital and technology into firms that have historically been stretched on both. Leadership continuity at 24-7 Group, with Hawes staying on, suggests Sauter is buying growth and client relationships rather than planning to strip the business down.

What it means for your career

If you work in M&E, building automation or FM engineering, particularly serving retail, logistics and distribution clients, this is a signal that the sector is attracting serious international investment rather than retrenching. Sauter's background is in building automation and energy management, so expect 24-7 Group to invest in controls, BMS and energy management capability over the next year, which is good news if you have those skills or want to move into that specialism from general M&E. It is also worth watching for senior roles bridging UK delivery with Sauter's European technical standards, the kind of post that tends to appear eighteen months to two years after a deal like this beds in. For engineers currently weighing a move between a traditional UK M&E contractor and a facilities management specialist, a well capitalised group like 24-7 Group, now backed by a century old automation specialist, is a stronger long-term bet than it was a fortnight ago.