Keller has grown from humble beginnings to become the largest geotechnical specialist contractor in the world.
It all began in 1860 when Johann Keller founded his company. Many years of exciting growth and acquisitions have followed and we’ve celebrated lots of industry-leading innovations along the way.
1860
Established by Johann Keller in Renchen, Germany
1930s
Invented the vibro ground improvement method
1970s
Licensed jet grouting technology from Japan to Europe and North America
Invented compensation grouting technique to correct building settlement
1972
Acquired by GKN in the UK to form Keller GKN Foundations
1984
Acquired Hayward Baker (North America)
1990
Renamed Keller after management buyout
1994
Listed on the London Stock Exchange
1994
Acquired Case Foundation Company (US)
2001
Acquired Suncoast Post-Tension (US)
2002
Acquired McKinney Drilling Company (US)
2007
Acquired Systems Geotechnique (UK) and HJ Foundation (US)
2006
Acquired Piling Contractors (Australia) and Anderson Drilling (US)
2009
Acquired Resource Piling (Singapore)
2011
Executed Wheatstone project: One of the world’s largest foundation contracts involving more than 25,000 driven piles
2013
Acquired Geo-Foundations Contractors Inc (Canada) and North American Piling (Canada) and Esorfranki Geotechnical (South Africa)
2015
Acquired Bencor (North America) and Austral (Australia)
2016
Acquired Tecnogeo (Brazil)
Asia and Australia divisions merged to form Asia-Pacific Division
Global product teams established to share knowledge, enable transfer of technology and lead product development and strategy
2017
Executed €150 million Caspian Region project: another one of the world’s largest foundation contracts involving 42,000 pre-cast piles
2018
Acquired Moretrench (US)
2019
Our instrumentation and monitoring businesses were rebranded GEO-Instruments
2020
Integrated Keller’s foundation businesses in North America and rebranded them as Keller
2020
As part of strategy to become a more focussed, higher quality business:
- Sold Tecnogeo and exited Chile and Peru
- Sold non-core businesses Wannenwetsch in Germany and Colcrete Eurodrill in the UK
2021
Integrated Franki Africa and Middle East to become our Middle East Africa Business Unit, and moved it into new Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) Division
EMEA Division then became Europe Division
Acquired RECON (US), extending our remediation solutions
Acquired NordPile (KFS in Norway)
Acquired Voges Drilling (US)
Acquired Subterranean (Canada)
2022
Exited Denmark and Côte d'Ivoire
Acquired GKM Consultants (Canada)