Statom hires Bauer's John Theos to lead Franki piling push

Statom has poached Bauer Technologies boss John Theos to lead a fresh growth push at its Franki and Martello piling businesses, just over a year after buying the specialists from Belgian contractor BESIX.

Theos takes over as managing director of Franki Group UK, a business Statom acquired in September 2025 when Franki was heading for annual turnover of around £40m. His move from Bauer, where he had run the UK technologies arm since October 2023, signals an aggressive expansion phase for the ground engineering group.

Statom group chief development officer Gavin Hunt said: "We have an ambitious vision for the future of Franki and Martello."

"We want to build on the considerable expertise and reputation that already exists within both businesses, whilst investing in technology, innovation and our people," Hunt said.

How will the two brands divide the market?

The reorganisation sharpens each business's focus on a distinct slice of the piling market:

• Martello will chase civil engineering and major projects through large-diameter rotary and CFA piling, alongside its specialist restricted-headroom work.
• Franki will target growth in residential CFA piling and push deeper into ground improvement.

Martello is also pumping investment into its restricted-headroom fleet to boost productivity and tackle tighter working spaces. Its Martello Method, introduced to the UK in 2002, enables large-diameter rotary piling on sites where conventional rigs cannot operate.

Who is John Theos?

Theos brings deep international and UK ground engineering experience to the role. Before taking the helm at Bauer Technologies in October 2023, he spent seven years heading Bauer's Americas region, following an earlier spell running its Canadian business.

Prior to his time at Bauer, he held senior UK roles at Expanded Piling and Keller.

What does the appointment mean for Statom?

The Statom acquisition in September 2025 covered Franki Foundations UK, including Martello Piling and Able Piling, giving the group an established platform in specialist foundations work.

Hunt added: "John will play a key role in shaping and delivering this strategy, whilst ensuring that Franki and Martello continue to provide the high levels of technical expertise, quality and service for which they are recognised."

With Theos now in place and capital flowing into Martello's restricted-headroom fleet, the two brands enter 2026 positioned to compete across both volume residential CFA work and the specialised low-access sector of the UK piling market.