Colliers International parent First Service has completed the acquisition of AOS Group.
The Paris-headquartered AOS will immediately be rebranded as Colliers International throughout its operations in France, Beligum, Spain, Morocco, the UK, Netherlands and Switzerland.
Gilles Betthaeuser, Founder and chief executive of AOS Group, will retain the balance of the equity and will continue to lead operations, the company said.
The acquisition, as revealed by Estates Gazette, provides Colliers with a significant new base of operations in France and Belgium and augments existing operations in AOS’ other markets, enhancing the company’s tenant representation, project management and workplace consulting arms.
AOS currently generates approximately $100m (£62m) in annual revenue. Founded in 1997, it employs more than 450 real estate professionals, including commercial and institutional real estate consultants, engineers, architects and designers, project managers, and financial analysts.
Chris McLernon, chief executive of EMEA at Colliers International, said: “Having significant operations in France, one of the world’s leading commercial property markets, has been a key priority for us, and with the added benefit of being able to augment our existing operations in other markets with complementary and differentiated services, the addition of AOS takes us to the next level as we continue to grow and develop our business in Europe.
“Furthermore, with the strength of our global platform and the Colliers brand, we fully expect to accelerate our clients’ success through the future growth and diversification of our existing operations, including services such as property and asset management, property valuations and capital markets.”
Betthaeuser said: “The cultural and strategic fit with Colliers International was apparent from the start. Colliers has an enterprising culture similar to ours; its relentless focus on service excellence is hard to replicate; and its global platform provides our clients with all the execution capabilities we could hope for.”
