A NEW privately-held building services firm chaired by Ely Property founder Philip Marley has spent a total of £6.2 million (€8.1 million) on the acquisition of two companies in Britain.

Metic Solutions spent £3.8 million on the purchase of Melayway Glass Assemblies of West Byfleet, Surrey, and £2.4 million on Space Decks Systems of Chard, Somerset. Melayway makes glass, aluminium and timber curtain wall facades. Space Decks designs and installs glass and steel skylights

Metic, based in Dublin, is a separate venture to Mr Marley's best known business, Ely, the student accommodation firm now wholly-owned by the quoted support services group Newcourt.

He remains chief executive of Ely.

Metic said the combination of Melayway and Space Decks will contribute more than £23 million in revenue to the company in the current financial year.

The acquisition of these two companies represents the company's first steps in its plan to acquire a number of complementary specialist buildings systems businesses throughout Europe.

Metic will make further acquisitions to broaden and deepen its product offering, Mr Marley said.

"Our vision is to create the dominant, European specialist building systems business. Such a business will provide the efficiencies of scale and strength of balance sheet to overcome the cash-flow problems that have typically affected the specialist, highly skilled, smaller independent businesses within this sector."

Melayway was formed in 1993. Previous projects for which it has carried out work include the Regents Quarter development at Kings Cross in London and and the timber-frame Jodrell Extension at Kew Gardens.

Projects for which Space Decks has carried out work include British Airways' headquarters. Other clients include the Home Office in Britain and GCHQ, the government communications headquarters in Britain.