The origins of 
go back to the early 1980s.
John Battersby, the Group Managing Director of , arrived in Hong Kong in 1983 to set up the Hong Kong practice of Battersby, Old and Associates, a partnership in the United Kingdom involved in construction management, project management, commercial and contract management and quantity surveying.? In 1985, Battersby and Associates Limited [Battersby] was incorporated in Hong Kong.
In 1988, John Battersby was invited to join one of the largest construction groups in Hong Kong and served as its Group Commercial Manager until 1993 when he left to concentrate on the development of Battersby and Associates.
Burns Associates Limited [Burns] was established in London in 1986 and, in 1988, an office was opened in Hong Kong.? Shortly afterwards in 1990, John Baker, who had been the Hong Kong Commercial Manager of a major international mechanical and electrical contractor since the early 1980s, joined the founder Tony Burns in establishing Burns Associates as a firm of Chartered Quantity Surveyors offering pre and post contract quantity surveying as well as commercial and contract management services.
Burns’ particular specialization is in the mechanical and electrical engineering and building services industry.? It was in this field in the early days of its development that Battersby recommended Burns’ engagement on a major hospital project in Hong Kong.? Burns subsequently worked with Battersby on a number of Hong Kong’s major infrastructure projects.
In 1990, Burns opened an office in Thailand and further growth saw Burns open offices in Vietnam in 1996 and Cambodia in 1998.
In 1995, Battersby took over the Hong Kong operation of J. D. Kingsfield (Far East) Limited [Kingsfield], a United Kingdom based company which first came to Hong Kong in the early 1980s when it was engaged by a large Hong Kong property developer to manage a major arbitration.? To reflect this relationship, Battersby changed its name to Battersby Kingsfield Limited.
In 1997, Battersby Kingsfield opened an office in the Philippines.
Further developments in these relationships saw Battersby Kingsfield and Burns take over the management of Kingsfield’s operations in the Asia Pacific region in 1999.? Kingsfield subsequently withdrew from its traditional business and, in 2000, BK Asia Pacific Limited was established to develop and expand the businesses of its subsidaries and associated companies throughout the Asia Pacific Region.
Since the formation of , offices have been opened in Singapore, in 2000; Malaysia, in 2001; Shanghai, in 2001; and Macau, in 2005.
In 2009, BK SURCO Limited is an incorporated joint venture between Battersby Kingsfield Limited and SURCO Ltd, the information business of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors. BK SURCO Training was founded to provide commercial training resources, advice and help for employers of construction personnel, especially those working in civil engineering, and for individuals engaged in commercial activities within the industry.
