The buyer for highly-regarded project management software specialist Metier Management Systems Ltd turns out to be Solihull-based Lucas Industries Plc, which has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum for the business to Calabasas, California-based Lockheed Corp. Metier’s planning and control software will become part of Lucas’ own project management and software division called Lucas Engineering and Systems. Metier has made modest progress since it was acquired by Lockheed in 1985 turnover then was put at the equivalent of about UKP57m at the ruling exchange rate and is now estimated at between UKP60m and UKP65m. The combined turnover of the two companies operating within the Lucas division will total UKP80m a year. While Lucas admits that the acquisition may raise eyebrows in the computer industry, it argues that Metier fits in well with Lucas Engineering. For a start, so the argument goes, it gives Lucas entry at world-level into project management software, while, in return, Metier gets access to Lucas group resources across the world. Metier will remain an autonomous unit within the Engin eering division and employees from the two halves will be loaned to each other as re quired. Lockheed put Metier up for sale last April (CI No 1,150) along with its other software interests because it wanted to refocus on its core businesses. It is not known whether Lockheed, which bought Metier for $100m in 1985 (CI No 110), will continue to use the company’s services.
