London-based GVA is being sold to Avison Young, a Canadian global real estate consulting company. GVA, which operates as a real estate consultant primarily in the United Kingdom, has already been managed separately from Apleona as an independent brand since the beginning of this year. In January, Apleona CEO Dr. Jochen Keysberg commented that while the differing business models of GVA as a real estate consultant and Apleona as a real estate and facility manager are both very successful, the requirements of their respective markets and customer groups have to be met in a very different way. In this respect, it made sense and was right for both companies to go their separate ways in pursuing further commercial success, each on the path that it has chosen.

“For us, the sale of GVA was another important step in order to establish Apleona as a leading European real estate and facility manager. We are delighted that with Avison Young we have found a long-term, strategic investor who wants to continue to pursue growth together with GVA,” said Dr. Jochen Keysberg, commenting on today’s sale. He expressed his thanks on behalf of the Apleona Group’s entire Management Board for the good collaboration over the last few years and wished his colleagues at GVA continued strong success.

The parties have agreed not to disclose the details of the transaction.

Apleona is still represented in all UK and Irish markets as a real estate and facility manager even without GVA. This year alone, the Group gained new customers including the University of Roehampton in London, the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, Hull and East Yorkshire (HEY) Hospitals NHS Trust, the automotive supplier ZF and a major US aircraft manufacturer. Even after GVA goes its separate way, Apleona will continue to employ around 3,000 people in over 250 different customer locations in the UK and Ireland even after separating from GVA.