When UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) invited MLM to join a trade mission to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in Brazil, the timing was perfect. There, the UK company met a suitable local partner with which to successfully establish a joint venture. MLM Brasil has already secured a number of projects in Brazil. MLM’s 350 employees are involved with more than 9,000 live projects, worth £17 billion and generating a global turnover of £26 million. The company has been named as one of the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2015.

Even basic construction projects involve a range of engineering services. MLM is a multi-disciplinary engineering and environmental consultancy and UK Approved Inspector that considers the large and small details of major projects around the world. The company provides in–house professional services in compliance, buildings and infrastructure, environment planning and

development, and sustainability.

Established in 1966, MLM Group now has 13 offices across the UK and overseas, operating in a wide range of building and infrastructure areas in both the public and private sectors. The company has worked on projects for residential, commercial, education, healthcare, rail and waste management clients, as well as data centres, hotels and highways.

“Over 5 decades, we have grown the business to provide services throughout the lifecycle of construction projects,” says Chris Neeves, Director at MLM.

“Today, we work to provide a full range of engineering consultancy services, including building services, structural engineering, building control approvals, as well as specialist advice on acoustics, environmental sciences and fire engineering. We advise public and private clients in 13 countries in Europe, South America and Asia, and every assignment takes into consideration the client’s requirements, local environment

and sustainability of the buildings and infrastructure we engineer.”

Brazil beckons

Having developed a strong presence in the UK, MLM set a target to grow international projects to 10% of total revenue. After gaining valuable experience in the Middle East, it then started to consider the BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China, deciding that Brazil was the most suitable market to explore for its next overseas expansion.

When MLM received an invitation from UKTI to join a trade mission to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in December 2010, the company was ready to explore opportunities there.

“In the UK, we are geared to regional delivery and local issues, and we look to offer local capability in overseas markets,” says Chris. “We then looked to Brazil, South America’s largest economy, to further our international reach.

MLM’s sustainable Brazilian expansion

Case study: Trade

Company: MLM

Sector: Construction - engineering and environmental consultancy

UK region: London

Target market: Brazil

UKTI services: Trade Missions, Networking, Events

www.mlm.uk.com

With major projects such as the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016, as well as significant government housing and infrastructure initiatives, we saw demand for our expertise, especially in sustainability. UKTI’s invitation came at exactly the right time, offering us the opportunity to put our feet on the ground, to research the country and local market, and to meet potential Brazilian partners and clients, with the support of UKTI’s teams in London and São Paulo.”

Local networking

The UKTI Built Environment Team in Brazil invited MLM to give a presentation on why sustainability matters, to an audience of Brazilian architects and construction professionals. The company also participated in trade association presentations, looking at the infrastructure gap in the region, and the positive impact UK expertise could have there.

Over the next 6 months, MLM visited Brazil 6 times, always consulting with the UKTI team in São Paulo about its plans and participating in local networking events. The company learned more about the market, built a network of contacts and decided it was ready to expand into Brazil. MLM reached an informal joint venture agreement in September 2011, which was formalised 6 months later, 15 months after first visiting Brazil.

With ongoing support from UKTI, MLM Brasil, the joint venture formed by MLM and its local partner, soon secured its first contract for sustainability services in the construction sector. By 2014, the Brazilian subsidiary completed a number of similar projects and now has a growing pipeline of opportunities in the Brazilian property and construction sectors.

In the meantime, MLM established local offices in Finland, Ireland and Bahrain, and secured a prestigious Building Structures award at the ACE Engineering Excellence Awards in the UK. In 2016, it will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

“Speaking in front of leaders and decision-makers in our industry in Brazil was the perfect way to introduce our expertise and present the value we offer,” says Chris. “The UKTI Trade Mission and the events we attended at the Consulate on each of our 6 subsequent research trips to Brazil, allowed us to meet the right people and build relationships within a very close-knit business community. We soon learned the gaps and opportunities in the local market and the UKTI team in São Paulo was invaluable in furthering our understanding of local political, policy and professional issues. They have worked in parallel to our efforts since the trade mission. Thanks to UKTI, we met our Brazilian partner and have an established joint venture in Brazil in time for our 50th year. We are now engaged in multi-billion dollar developments around the world that will help sustain our international aspirations for the foreseeable future.”

The UK and Brazil

Designated one of UKTI’s High Growth Markets, Brazil is simply too big a market to ignore. It is the 5th-largest country in the world, with a population of approximately 189 million, and has one of the world’s most rapidly developing economies.Brazil has huge opportunities for UK companies across a range of sectors. Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Olympics, 2 years after the FIFA World Cup was held in Brazil. UK businesses have the chance to benefit from opportunities across a broad spectrum of sectors and interests including commercial development, environment, education and health as well as sports and infrastructure projects. For further information about business opportunities in Brazil, please go to gov.uk/ukti

“ Thanks to UKTI, we met our Brazilian partner and have an established joint venture in Brazil in time for our 50th year.”Chris Neeves, Director, MLM

Helping you to do business abroad

Doing business in another country can be a challenge, so it’s good to know that UK Trade & Investment is there to help you succeed.

Through a range of unique services, including participation at selected trade fairs, overseas missions and providing bespoke market intelligence, UK Trade & Investment can help you crack foreign markets and quickly get to grips with regulations and business practices overseas.

Through our Passport to Export programme we offer new and inexperienced exporters:

• free capability assessments

• support in visiting potential markets

• mentoring from a local export professional

• free action plans

• customised and subsidised training

• ongoing support once you’re up and running

UKTI was delighted to support MLM in its business overseas.

To connect with an International Trade Adviser and begin your own success story now, visit gov.uk/ukti, or email enquiries@ukti.gsi.gov.uk

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UK Trade & Investment is the Government Department that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. We also help overseas companies bring their high-quality investment to the UK’s dynamic economy. We provide companies with the tools they require to be competitive on the world stage.

Published May 2015 by UK Trade & Investment © Crown Copyright