Broadspectrum
Broadspectrum, formerly known as Transfield Services, was an Australian and New Zealand company that provided infrastructure maintenance services. Formerly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, and later owned by Ferrovial, it was then acquired by Ventia who integrated Broadspectrum alongside Visionstream.
Overview
Broadspectrum operated across diverse industries, including property and facilities management, defence, transport, utilities, and mining and chemical processing and hydrocarbons. Its clients included major national and international companies, as well as all levels of government.History
In May 2001, Transfield Holdings spun-off its maintenance contracting division along with power, transportation and water assets and listed it on the Australian Securities Exchange as Transfield Services. Transfield Holdings had an initial 45% shareholding.In July 2004, Transfield Services acquired the New Zealand operations of Serco. In February 2005, Transfield Services purchased instrumentation, electrical and mechanical service group Broadspectrum. In June 2007, Transfield Services Infrastructure Fund was spun-off, comprising seven former Transfield Services power station and water storage assets.
In December 2010, well-servicing business Easternwell was purchased. Easternwell provides services to the mining, oil and gas and infrastructure sectors in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. In July 2011 Transfield Services sold its North American based facilities management business USM to Emcor for US$255 million, and also announced the sell down of 80 percent of its share in the Transfield Services Infrastructure Fund to Ratchaburi Australia, a subsidiary of Thai company Ratchaburi Electricity General.
In October 2012, Transfield Services was contracted to manage the Australian government's offshore immigration detention centre on Nauru. In March 2014, following the death of Iranian asylum seeker Reza Barati, it took over the running of the detention centre on Manus Island from G4S. A group of artists participating in the Sydney Biennale that year threatened a boycott of the festival unless the festival ended a sponsorship deal with Transfield. Belgiorno-Nettis resigned his chairmanship of the Biennale.
In September 2014, ahead of a review established by immigration minister Scott Morrison, Transfield Holdings sold its remaining shareholding in Transfield Services, marking the end of its involvement. In November 2015 Transfield Services was rebranded as Broadspectrum after Transfield Holdings gave 12 months notice of termination of the right to use the name Transfield and logo.
Having made an unsuccessful takeover attempt in 2014, in May 2016 Ferrovial acquired the business. In December 2019, Ferrovial agreed terms to sell the business to Ventia. The transaction was completed in June 2020 after being cleared by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.