SGS, which has more than 53,000 employees in some 1,000 international offices and laboratories, has bought metallurgy testing and consulting specialist Holman-Wilfley Associates.

Chris Kirk, SGS chief executive, said the deal increases its metallurgy testing capabilities in Europe. “SGS has worked with Holman-Wilfley and its team of professional engineers for several years and we are excited to welcome them into the SGS family.”

This is the fourth business the group has purchased in the past two months. Its previous deals were Technical Engineering Service Corporation in South Korea, Serviços de Automacao PiD in Brazil, and the soil, leaf, fertiliser and water testing business of Central Analytical Laboratories in Cape Town.

Holman-Wilfley has served the international mineral processing industry since 2004 and currently has revenues of some £700,000 and 15 employees.