New Zealand Identity Changes Name

One of New Zealand's best-known engineering firms, Worley Consultants, has changed its name. Effective Wednesday, September 27, the Worley Group of companies will be known as Meritec.

Worley, now Meritec, is one of New Zealand's oldest and largest employee-owned consulting firms with more than 400 staff in New Zealand, Australia and Asia. The firm was founded by Ralph Worley in 1919, and after commencing in transportation and water, the firm extended into power and energy and latterly business management.

As a multidisciplinary consultancy, Meritec has clients in more than 46 countries with well over USD6 billion of power and energy projects. The firm works on transportation, water, environment, building and industrial projects, and has a substantial reputation in large-scale design, construction supervision and asset management.

According to Worley Managing Director Ian Parton, the new name Meritec reflects the firm's expanded role as a global provider of integrated engineering and business management services.

"Worley has been involved in many of this country's biggest roading, industrial and hydropower projects but often under different names. While we have retained 'Worley' over the years, the firm has changed its name several times to reflect changing ownership and services

“In the last ten years we have become very active offshore and as we have extended our reach, we have given consideration to a name that best represents our capabilities in business management and information technology as well as our core engineering services. The name change reflects that."

Dr. Parton said the new name did not reflect any factor other than the firm's growth strategy. He said there is no change in the Worley ownership or structure. Meritec's revenues had doubled since1990 to over $40million and he expected staff to increase to more than 600 within the next three years.

Based in Auckland, Meritec has built a big reputation offshore since it first ventured into Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia as Worley International in the 70s.

Recently the company announced its acquisition of 50% of Argenta, an information technology group in New Zealand and Australia that will benefit from Meritec's widespread activity in Asia.

Ends

For further information: Ian Parton, Managing Director, Worley Consultants, 09 379 1204

Issued on behalf of Worley Consultants by Beyond Public Relations. Contact: Claudia Macdonald, Tel: 09 306 1804

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