Pictured: Managing director Karen Chilton is pictured with newly promoted operations director Andy Dear at the company's Wolverhampton based contact centre

A Wolverhampton based contact centre business has announced plans to double its workforce to 200 staff, just 20 months after being founded by entrepreneur Karen Chilton.

To meet its ambitious growth targets UGroup will also be moving from its Regent House offices in Bath Avenue to newly refurbished headquarters in Mander House, Wolverhampton where it will be taking two floors totalling 8,000sq.ft.

UGroup currently employs 100 staff at its business to business Ucall contact centre, managing customer relationships for a host of blue chip organisations in the finance and insurance sectors. As part of the group's expansion plans, the company is now looking to develop into other markets such as leisure and travel.

A recruitment drive to attract dozens of contact centre staff as well as managers, analysts and full time coaches is already underway and, as part of the company's commitment to recognising and rewarding success in the business, Andy Dear has been promoted from operations manager to group operations director.

A qualified loans underwriter, Andy joined the business in June 2010 having previously held customer account management roles with both Promise Solutions and Britannia Building Society.

Managing director Karen Chilton, said:  We're investing heavily in our business both in terms of attracting and training new staff to support our growth and at the new offices where we have spent a six figure sum to create a state-of-the-art contact centre."

"The people who join us need not have contact centre experience as we have four full time trainers on board to ensure that they are given all the customer relationship skills required for the role."

Prior to setting up UGroup, Karen gained extensive experience in the financial and insurance markets having previously worked for Barclays Bank, GE Money and more recently Promise Solutions in Wolverhampton.  In recent months UGroup has been heavily involved in helping customers manage claims for the miss-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) policies.

"Our business growth and future plans are all focused on providing a highly personal service to our customers and their clients, which means building relationships through the specialist contact centre account managers and wrapping them in value," she said.

"Since the credit crunch and financial crisis, many people living in "middle England" have felt more vulnerable and insecure with fewer people to turn to, but we can fill the relationship void by helping them with any financial miss-selling and debt management.  By further developing our people, processes and infrastructure we also intend to expand the services and products we offer to commercial clients and the public," added Karen.