Pictured above: gap shropshire branch manager Stuart Danks

An industrial recruitment firm has seen a 40 per cent upturn in business compared to this period last year.

gap shropshire branch manager, Stuart Danks, says it is extremely positive news and a sign that businesses are displaying new confidence in the local economy.

"The signs are there, albeit tentatively, that following a difficult 2009, when many had to make stringent cutbacks, industry locally is beginning to recruit again."

With Britain still facing a slow economic recovery, Stuart says many markets remain fragile, and company bosses could be choosing to recruit temporary workers rather than full time employees until the economy is on a more sure footing.

He added: "We have certainly noticed an upward trend here at gap shropshire. Our sales are 40 per cent up on last year and to date 30 new clients have used our services this year. These are excellent figures and a lot more encouraging than we envisaged would be the case at the beginning of 2010."

With a four-strong team headquartered at Church Street, Wellington, Telford, gap is now the fastest growing recruitment agency in the county. 

It recently secured a major new contract with Veolia Environmental Services Shropshire which won a contract to manage the county's waste and recycling collection and disposal service. Gap supplies it with bin men and recycling workers. 

The increasingly strong gap shropshire client base now stretches across the three counties of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Powys.

Stuart said: "We have moved significantly more into the Welsh border areas, including Welshpool and Oswestry in the first half of this year. It is an area we have specifically targeted as having potential growth, although our main goal is still to win more new clients in Shropshire's key industrial bases of Shrewsbury and Telford."

gap shropshire boasts an enviable record of never having lost a client over its four year history in the area.

Stuart has also noted an increase in the number of applicants for work over recent months.

"We are getting more walk-ins, people who call in on the off-chance that we can find them work.  We have a strict recruitment procedure, including rigorous assessments and interviews. We have to be sure every worker has the skills and aptitude to match each client's individual needs. 

"It is this which sets us apart from competitors. We have earned a reputation for providing quality workers which in turn has reaped us a solid history of client loyalty."

The gap shropshire team also includes Melanie Palmer, Josie Atkinson and Trevor Mullett.