BUKO Traffic & Safety (“BUKO”), a leading provider of outsourced traffic and safety management solutions in the Netherlands, the UK and Germany, has acquired Hooke Holdings Limited, parent of operating subsidiary and brand Hooke Highways (“Hooke Highways”), one of the largest providers of traffic management in the South of England. Following BUKO’s acquisition of Scunthorpe-headquartered Road Traffic Solutions (“RTS”) earlier this year, the acquisition of Hooke Highways builds on the company’s growing presence in the UK market.

Headquartered in Barendrecht, the Netherlands, BUKO Traffic & Safety employs over 700 people and successfully oversees thousands of projects annually. A leading provider of outsourced traffic and safety management solutions in its home market of the Netherlands, the company consists of the two business units BUKO Infrasupport and BUKO Waakt. Founded in 1991, BUKO Infrasupport specialises in temporary traffic management solutions. With its comprehensive portfolio of services – from design, planning, approval, deployment and collection, as well as onsite management of road signage, safety equipment required for roadworks and an innovative range of digital traffic management solutions – BUKO Infrasupport primarily serves contractors and public authorities, active in utility-related and urban/rural roadworks. BUKO Waakt provides temporary remote security solutions with a focus on camera surveillance, intrusion detection systems and access control systems, which are used principally on construction sites.

Since funds advised by Equistone acquired a majority stake in BUKO in February 2023, the company has pursued a growth strategy focused on building its presence in its home market and targeted expansion into neighbouring countries supported by strong market dynamics. In March 2024, BUKO established a foothold in the attractive UK market by acquiring RTS, a temporary traffic and event management solutions specialist operating from seven locations and employing 175 people. With the acquisition of Hooke Highways, BUKO strengthens its position in this key growth market. In October 2024, BUKO also expanded into the German market for the first time with the acquisition of BVT Bremer Verkehrstechnik.

Hooke Highways provides high-quality temporary traffic management services to a diverse customer base. Headquartered in Lower Weare, Somerset, the business operates from six locations in the South of England. The company is being acquired from the Managing Director and major shareholder Michael Montague, who will continue to lead the company’s operations post transaction, and Panoramic Growth Equity (“PGE”), an equity and debt investor which invested into Hooke Highways in 2020. Under Michael and PGE’s ownership, Hooke Highways has achieved strong growth in recent years, driven by new customer wins and consolidation of its existing customer base. The company has 140 employees.

“We are excited to partner with Hooke Highways and strengthen our foothold in the attractive UK market. There is strong synergy between RTS and Hooke Highways in terms of geographic presence, culture and ambitions for the future,” says Robert Emmerich, CEO at BUKO. “Together, we’re committed to deliver an even stronger and versatile service to our customers and expanding our impact across the UK in the years to come,” says Robert Emmerich, CEO at BUKO.

“After successfully entering the UK earlier this year, Hooke Highways represents an important next step towards expanding BUKO’s presence in the UK and realising its ambitions of becoming a leading player in the market,” says Hubert van Wolfswinkel, Partner in Equistone’s Amsterdam office.

The Equistone team includes Hubert van Wolfswinkel, Tanja Berg and Josh Aalbers. BUKO was advised on the transaction by PwC (Financial & Tax) and Ashfords (Legal).