Black & White Engineering Announces Homan O’Brien Acquisition

This marks a significant step in expanding the company’s global presence, particularly in the data centre and infrastructure sectors. The Homan O’Brien acquisition strengthens Black & White Engineering’s position in Ireland and supports the company’s continued European growth goals.

Expanding Engineering Capability Through the Homan O’Brien Acquisition

Established in 1990 through the merger of Robert Jacob and Partners (founded in 1955) and Seamus Homan Associates (founded in 1978), Homan O’Brien specialises in mechanical and electrical engineering design services. Their expertise spans various sectors, including data centres, healthcare, education, laboratories, commercial, residential, and industrial facilities.

Strengthening Presence in Ireland and Europe

​​​Mick Cairns, CEO and Founder of Black & White Engineering said:

“We’re incredibly proud to welcome Homan O’Brien to Black & White Engineering, a business that shares our values and drive for excellence. Dublin’s strategic role in the global data centre market makes it the ideal location for strengthening ties with our clients, and establishing a regional headquarters in Ireland is a significant step in our growth journey. Homan O’ Brien’s strong local presence and specialist expertise align perfectly with our ambitions, and I’m thrilled to bring such talented people into our global team. It’s a great fit that unlocks new momentum as we continue to expand internationally.”

Steven Horn, Managing Director at Europe, of Black & White Engineering added:

“Homan O’Brien is well-established in Ireland and its trusted team of experts will further enhance our expanding capabilities in region and support our European data centre projects, enabling us to deliver even greater value to both our existing and new clients.”

Supporting Growth in Data Centre Engineering

Black & White Engineering operates across 18 cities worldwide with over 700 employees. With over 15 years of innovation, Black & White has seen rapid growth, achieving a 500% increase in size since 2020, and is highly regarded across industry for its technical excellence, data centre sector expertise and sustainable delivery across complex infrastructure projects. This acquisition supports the delivery of complex data centre projects by combining global expertise with local knowledge.

Simon O’Brien, Managing Director of Homan O’Brien, commented:

“This is an exciting next step for our business. We remain committed to our clients and the team we have built, while gaining the scale and support of being part of Black & White to accelerate our growth and deliver more for our staff and clients.”

Leadership Transition and Future Plans

Joint Managing Director Brian Homan will be retiring from Homan O’ Brien on 30th April 2025. Brian comments, “Having been in the industry for over 40 years I have taken this opportunity to step back and wish my colleagues at Homan O’ Brien all the success in their new venture going forward.”

The two businesses will begin working together immediately, with future plans to scale and expand the team in Ireland to deliver a growing pipeline of regional and international projects.

Backing growth through strategic investment

The acquisition is backed by Waterland, an independent investment group that partnered with Black & White Engineering in 2024 to support its rapid growth strategy. Waterland’s partnership has been instrumental in enabling Black & White Engineering to expand geographically and pursue its first strategic acquisition.

Wendy McMillan, Partner at Waterland (UK) commented:

“We are delighted to support Black & White Engineering as it continues to grow, expanding its capabilities and international footprint. The partnership with Homan O’Brien is a strong strategic fit bringing together complementary expertise, regional strength and a shared focus on technical excellence.”

Building a Strong Engineering Platform in Ireland

The Homan O’Brien acquisition is a critical move in Black & White Engineering’s strategy to expand its global presence, particularly in the data centre and infrastructure sectors. It opens up new opportunities for Black & White to scale engineering capability in Ireland while supporting clients across Europe.

By combining technical expertise, regional presence and global delivery, the business is well positioned to support future infrastructure projects.

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