ATA, the human resources outfit, has conditionally agreed to acquire Catalis. Catalis is a training services provider which also carries out audits of training standards on behalf of the railway industry. As well as an initial consideration of £1.35m in cash, the company will also ensure that Catalis has sufficient resources to repay a loan of £650,000. A deferred consideration of up to £939,000 will be payable dependent on the pre-tax profit made by Catalis in the period from 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001. Commenting on the strategic benefits of the acquisition, chairman Bill Douie said it would extend ATA's exposure to training in the corporate sector and would provide ATA with 'immediate access to a growing area of the UK economy and one in which the government is committed to provide additional funding'. ATA posted strong interim figures for the six months ended 30 June with pre-tax profits increased by 68 per cent to £320,359 on a turnover of £3.4m (£3.1m). Updating investors today, a bullish Douie claimed that 'trading continues positive and up to directors' expectations'.