One of Ipswich’s biggest employers has been sold.

Ipswich Star: Sweco has taken over Ipswich-based MLM. Sweco s President and CEO ?sa Bergman visit to MLM. Left to right Max Joy president of Sweco UK, ?sa Bergman president and CEO, of Sweco and Neil Cooper CEO, MLM Group. Picture: SWECO.Sweco has taken over Ipswich-based MLM. Sweco s President and CEO ?sa Bergman visit to MLM. Left to right Max Joy president of Sweco UK, ?sa Bergman president and CEO, of Sweco and Neil Cooper CEO, MLM Group. Picture: SWECO. (Image: Sweco MLM)

MLM Group has been taken over by Swedish-based international design consultancy Sweco - the move will create a £108m turnover engineering consultancy, with a network of 26 offices in the UK and Ireland, with more than 1,300 employers.

Sweco, based in Leeds, employs 15,500 people across Europe and delivers projects in 70 countries each year.

MLM has 460 employees many of them based in Ipswich Waterfront. The headquarters were recently re-designed and transformed into modern offices in a custom-build project for the company.

It is one of the largest privately owned engineering, environmental and building control consultancies.

A MLM spokesman said: "No jobs are at risk for MLM Group part of Sweco. It's business as usual with a focus on sustainable growth."

Established in 1966 in Ipswich it has 13 offices including in London, across southern England and Ireland.

Steve Oliver chairman of MLM Group said: "We are proud of our long history and achievements and we are delighted that MLM Group are now part of Sweco, Europe's largest engineering, environment and design consultancy.

"This is a really exciting time for our development and strategic growth. Sweco and MLM Group are an excellent fit - culturally, operationally and geographically.

"We have shared values and by working together, we will strengthen Sweco's brand and position in the UK. Our strong synergies in buildings, infrastructure, environment and compliance - coupled with complementary areas of expertise - will strengthen our offer and create new opportunities for the future, always putting our clients and people at the centre of what we do."

Max Joy, president of Sweco UK, said: "This acquisition marks the start of an exciting new chapter in our UK growth story. The combination of Sweco and MLM Group's expertise in transport, buildings and environmental engineering will enhance our value proposition to customers while opening up new opportunities in key markets.

"We believe the combination of Sweco's established expertise in building design, with MLM's specialist structural engineering capabilities and world-class compliance offer is a compelling proposition for new and existing customers."

The value of the deal has not been revealed.