LRQA is pleased to announce the acquisition of Ergon Associates, a London-based market leading labour standards, human rights and gender equality consultancy.
As businesses and investors with global value chains face new regulations, increased stakeholder scrutiny and the growing need to embed human rights due diligence into their strategies, the partnership enhances the technical and advisory capabilities on offer to clients. By joining forces, LRQA and Ergon Associates will deliver industry-leading expertise, enabling businesses to better integrate ESG factors into their decision-making processes.
The acquisition responds directly to rising demand for this support. It unites LRQA’s decades of experience in ESG advisory services, assessment, inspection, cybersecurity and data insights with Ergon Associates’ specialised knowledge in human rights, labour standards and gender equality. The combined strengths and synergies of both brands will allow teams to deliver exceptional advisory services across a range of sectors, markets and client types.
Erin Lyon, Managing Director for LRQA’s Advisory division, said:
“Protecting workers and human rights has never been more urgent, and the complexity of global supply chains cannot excuse inaction. LRQA is proud to continue our ambitious mergers and acquisition strategy and strengthen our existing ESG capabilities to meet demand from the market.
“LRQA has a unique perspective on the challenges of responsible sourcing, shaped by extensive on-the-ground experience and data capabilities. This, coupled with Ergon Associates’ expert consultancy and research on human rights, positions us to drive real impact for our clients and communities.”
Steve Gibbons, Director for Ergon Associates, said:
“Ergon Associates is pleased to be recognised for its profile as both a market and thought leader, based on our deep technical expertise and integrity on incredibly sensitive issues as well as work with different client types, from well-known companies to international public organisations. By uniting with LRQA, we can offer even broader expertise and deeper insights to ensure that we help our clients implement commitments on human rights, labour standards and gender equality. Combined with LRQA’s global reach, we look forward to continuing our work on cutting-edge issues for all our clients.”
This milestone marks the latest step in LRQA’s ambitious growth strategy, following acquisitions of several global risk management and advisory firms in recent years, aimed at enhancing support for clients navigating an evolving risk landscape.
“This strategic acquisition is well aligned to LRQA’s commitment to ESG standards and an important step in further strengthening our suite of capabilities in the space. We are delighted to partner with Ergon Associates and continue to build on the critical work they deliver in labour standards and human rights. LRQA remains focused on growth both organically and through targeted Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) activity to expand its service offering and geographic footprint. The market remains highly fragmented, and we continue to see attractive M&A opportunities to further strengthen our business. Ergon Associates is a great example of LRQA partnering with an entrepreneurial management team to support them expanding as part of the LRQA business.”
This merger reflects a shared vision for the future. It accelerates our joint mission to improve labour standards and human rights practices globally. Operating as one company will further empower teams to provide deeper insights and better deliver end-to-end solutions for clients.
This milestone represents a significant step forward for both LRQA and Ergon Associates, which has now been completed with all regulatory approvals secured. The teams will now work together to integrate Ergon Associates into LRQA’s operations, ensuring a smooth transition to ultimately benefit both client bases, internal processes, and to increase the impact and purpose of their work.
Find out more about LRQA's ESG Advisory Services
