Navy Blue broadens offer with interiors acquisition

Scottish consultancy Navy Blue has acquired an Edinburgh exhibition and interiors group as part of its drive to become a multidisciplinary business and broaden its client base.

“We are now going forward fairly aggressively, it’s a fairly big step for us,” says Navy Blue creative director Douglas Alexander of the acquisition. “It’s a good way for us to broaden our client bases,” he adds.

Elliott McDougall (Scotland), which was bought for an undisclosed sum, will now trade as Navy Blue Interiors and Exhibitions. The consultancy’s ten staff will stay on under managing director Allan Hartley with Alexander also becoming a director of the business.

The two groups have already collaborated on projects, most notably an exhibition wall for Cairn Energy. Navy Blue will lend design skills to the new group, which does not have an in-house design team.

Navy Blue is looking at other acquisitions. “The next could be a marketing consultancy,” says Alexander. The group, which opened a London office in March, is now 34-strong.