Both firms serve a range of clients from the automotive sector, including GM, Ford Jaguar and Harley-Davidson, and TTi said that the acquisition and subsequent combination of Lorien’s services would “create a company capable of recruiting and developing a technically-trained workforce that is in direct touch with the needs of its customers”.

The addition of research services to TTi’s offering would also allow clients to track and measure the impact training has on customer satisfaction and retention.

TTi president Lori Blaker (pictured) said: “Helping companies build a technically trained global workforce is critical to local economies. By adding the resources of Lorien Customer Focus, we will be able to connect this training to what customers see and experience in each local market. This is a powerful combination that will enable us to demonstrate the connection between a trained workforce and the customer experience.”

The acquisition is expected to produce a combined annual revenue of $73m, TTi said.

Lorien Customer Focus will continue to operate under its own name and remain in the UK, with management and staff remaining in place.

Archie Sinclair, Lorien CEO said: “There are tremendous synergies between these two companies. Combining Lorien Customer Focus expertise and resources with those of TTi Global enables us to put our market intelligence to work in an even greater capacity. This will benefit companies worldwide that must work harder to meet and exceed customer expectations.”