Pictured: (l-r) Nicola Bell-Ward, Kirstie Mason and Paul
Evans (all First4Staff)
One of the Black Country's fastest growing recruitment agencies
is targeting Shropshire as part of its ambitious expansion plans
with the launch of a third office in Telford.
First4Staff, which is headquartered in Wolverhampton and has a
base in Cannock, has taken on the Plough Road premises in
Wellington to help it deliver five new contracts with local blue
chip employers involved in both industry and commerce.
Paul Evans has been appointed to manage the new branch and will
initially be responsible for three full-time consultants, a figure
that the firm would like to see increase within a year.
It marks an exciting summer for the business, who is also
leading the way when it comes to preparing its clients for the new
Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) with a series of interactive
seminars due to be held to tackle this growing issue.
"We are delighted to have our new Shropshire base open and ready
for business," explained Jason Guy, who runs the business with
Finance Director Luke Adamczyk.
"Our existing customer base featured a number of businesses in
the area which were taking 50+ staff from us every week so we
wanted to make sure we had a local presence to deliver even better
levels of service."
He continued: "It also gives us the chance to go out and win new
contracts in Telford and surrounding areas. We are already working
on three new opportunities that are likely to come off over the
next two weeks."
Established in 2001, First4Staff provides tailored recruitment
solutions for companies involved in industry, commerce, driving,
the public sector and increasingly education through its
established teaching division.
Investment in continued professional development for its
consultants and a bespoke software package ensures many requests
for workers can be completed within just fifteen minutes.
And with more than 1000 quality approved staff - from shop floor
operatives to former head teachers - on its books, the plan is for
the Telford branch to be turning over £1m by August 2012.
Paul Evans, who has more than 15 years' experience in
recruitment, is looking forward to the challenge:
"We are seeing considerable demand from manufacturers who are
looking to cope with increased volumes and Telford, with its major
industrial parks, will be leading this trend.
"In just the few weeks the branch has been open, we have
successfully interviewed and vetted some excellent candidates so
feel that we're in a great position to offer a cost effective
alternative to the established agencies in town."
He went on to add: "Our focus will be on all of Shropshire as we
also feel there is great potential in Bridgnorth, Market Drayton,
Newport, Shrewsbury and Oswestry."
ISO9001 accredited, First4Staff is expecting to smash the
£3m turnover barrier for the first time in its history later
this year.
A fourth office in Birmingham is on the agenda, with the
longer-term vision to develop a franchise model that will see the
company's presence move into other regions outside of the
Midlands.
It is a strategy that the management team is confident will work
despite the impending implications of the Agency Worker Regulations
that will signify a major change in the way the sector
operates.
Luke Adamczyk concluded: "AWR has been on the horizon for some
time and we are working closely with our clients to minimize its
impact.
"As part of this approach, we have joined forces with Squire
Sanders Hammonds to hold a series of seminars that will provide all
of the answers to those pressing questions and will also give a few
tips on how to embrace the regulations rather than fear them.
"They are free of charge to employers, but places are limited so
it's first come first served."
To book your place at future AWR Seminars, email Jason Guy at
jason@first4staff.net. For more information on the Telford branch,
please contact 01952 394424