Emerging strongly from the pandemic, the North-West is beginning to show promising signs of economic recovery with several businesses launching new offices and embarking on large-scale hiring sprees in order to meet demand. Now that restrictions are easing, businesses from a range of the North’s leading industries are observing significant growth and have a hugely exciting few months ahead of them.
We shine a spotlight on five of the businesses leading this recovery and driving job creation across the North-West.
Energize Group
Based in Didsbury, Energize has grown to become one of the UK’s leading specialist recruitment firms. Catering for businesses across five core territories, Energize provided highly specialised IT/Digital staffing solutions on either a permanent, contract or subscription basis.
The business has shown not only impressive but also consistent growth since it was founded 15 years ago. On course to achieve more than £17m in revenue this year, the firm is currently undergoing a period of transition following a management buyout with MD Craig Molloy taking the reigns for the next phase in the company’s journey.
Having received a number of recruitment awards in recent years including the REC’s ‘Best Company To Work For’, Energize is now embarking on a hiring spree to support this exciting next phase and has recently announced that it is set to create almost 200 roles.
Lovell
One of the UK’s leading players in the homebuilding space, Morgan Sindall owned Lovell are currently developing all the way from Glasgow through to Weston-super Mare. 2021 has been a profitable year for the business with approval granted for a number of exciting developments across the UK.
As part of its growth plans for the North-West, the business has partnered with The City of Liverpool College in order to create hundreds of skilled jobs in the area. Having recently also won a contract to build more than 100 homes in Liverpool, the business is taking the opportunity to tap in to the region’s incredible bank of talent, upskilling their employees as well as providing training for apprentices.
Zuto
Specialising in no-deposit car finance, Manchester-based Zuto provide an innovative digital marketplace where consumers can quickly and easily find a deal to fund their new car.
Capitalising on the huge recent growth within the used car market, despite the consequences of the pandemic the business were able to hire more than 150 new staff throughout 2021 across their two offices in Macclesfield and Manchester. This pursuit of growth is showing no signs of slowing down as the business plan to bring on more than 100 additional employees over the coming months.
Steered by Founder & CEO James Wilkinson, the business is investing heavily in its future with a significant focus on recruiting the next generation of talent. As the firm expands its recruitment has focused heavily on the graduate market, opening up more than 30 roles for people looking to take their first step on the career ladder.
The Dining Club Group
While readers may not be as familiar with the Dining Club Group name, the three brands the business comprises of are stalwarts in the UK’s discount card space: tastecard, Gourmet Society and hi-life. Specialising in helping the hospitality sector to attract and retain business while also saving consumers money, the tech firm works with more than 10,000 restaurants in which consumers spend more than £600m each year across their three brands.
Despite the challenges faced by the hospitality sector the Group has observed significant growth over the last 12 months, expanding its team by almost a third. With the industry starting to get back on its feet following the pandemic demand is set to soar further and the Group is now set to hire another 40 team members to support their impressive growth.
White Oak
Specialising in flexible lending for SMEs and mid-corporates, White Oak support more than 20,000 businesses across Europe. Founded in 1987, the business has had a fruitful 12 months, surpassing £250m in its loan book at the end of last year and recently doubling that for the first time in the company’s history.
The business provided vital support to more than 2,000 SMEs throughout the pandemic with loans totalling more than £350m. £315m was directed towards businesses outside of London, with nearly £60m being directed towards firms in the North-West. Following this impressive landmark the business has recently announced that it is moving its HQ from North Wales to Chester, creating more than 40 jobs in the process and putting plans in place to help SMEs across the region accelerate their growth as lockdown restrictions ease.
If you’d be interested in reading more here about how PR can help your business meet its recruitment objectives, click here to read about some of the new strategies firms are leveraging to attract talent.
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