For the last 23 years, BRCS (Building Control) Ltd has championed compliance in construction. Founded in 1996 by Simon Polley in Chelmsford, Essex, they were one of the first three Approved Inspectors permitted to undertake the building control role on commercial projects.

The prime role of BRCS is in the capacity of a statutory building control body, where clients range from small high street retailers to large public-sector organisations.

In March 2020, Hickton Group Ltd was formed as the holding company for four individual businesses, Hickton Consultants Ltd, BRCS (Building Control) Ltd, Cook Brown Building Control Ltd and Cook Brown Energy Ltd. Each business remains independent but with the added value of the group key strengths.

CEPS approached the business directly when the directors of BRCS decided to place the company on the market as part of an ultimate retirement strategy. BRCS wholly met the specific acquisition criteria sought by CEPS and was the ideal company to work alongside Hickton Consultants Ltd, another CEPS subsidiary, thus enhancing the joint offering.

For a small company to have the backing and support of the overall Group is comforting for the directors and allows them to think strategically and to address the future path for BRCS. Ultimately the introduction of improved financial management and QA systems will strengthen its position in the competitive approved inspector market which the directors acknowledge as a huge benefit.