Sussex companies looking to recruit

1:54pm Tuesday 16th December 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

With every day bringing news about fresh job cuts across the country, it seems that no sector is safe and we’ll all be for the chop if things get any worse.

In a bid to show it’s not all doom and gloom, business editor SAM THOMSON sought out companies that are planning to hire rather than fire in the new year.

Part of my morning routine involves brewing up a mug of Superman-strength black coffee and settling down in front of the Financial Times.

There really is no substitute if you want to keep abreast on business matters at home and abroad.

It’s usually a relaxing way to begin the day but lately has become much more depressing. Almost every one of its pink pages runs red with news of job culls or slashed salaries.

As far as heavy reads go, at the moment the FT is up there with the Book Of Revelations, George Orwell’s 1984 and my latest bank statement.

Such is the scale of cutbacks and breadth of industries affected, it’s easy to start thinking that no one and nowhere is safe.

But surely it can’t all be that bad? Surely there must be some businesses looking forward to the new year with anticipation, rather than trepidation?

To find out I asked Sussex Enterprise, the county’s chamber of commerce, to ask members to get in touch if they are planning to increase their workforce in the first few weeks of next year.

One of the first to respond was Fireco, a Hovebased company which makes fire safety products.

It plans to expand its staff by about 10%, according to operations manager Michelle Bussey.

She said: “At the moment I am interviewing for three different positions, we recruited someone just last week and we will be looking to get a couple more sales people in the first quarter of next year.”

As well as spending on recruitment, Fireco is planning to increase its marketing budget.

Ms Bussey said: “We have had growth plans in place for several years now and are planning to continue that trend.

“Part of these plans is to increase customer awareness and increase our product range so we can sell more products to more customers.

“We are not ignoring the downturn but we believe that the best thing to do is remain optimistic and focus our energies in trying to drive the business forward rather than making cutbacks.”

Fireco was set up in 1989 at the beginning of the last recession. Managers put its success over the years to the quality of its staff so say it would be a betrayal to start making redundancies now.

Ms Bussey said: “We believe we have a responsibility to make sure the business is robust and jobs are secure. It is a shame that in a lot of businesses as soon as they hit problems they think about cost savings first and usually it is the staff that suffer.

“About a month ago we got everyone together and told them that there were no plans for redundancies and the company wasn’t struggling but everyone should be aware of the difficult climate.”

Ms Bussey admits that, because many of their products are required by law as part of fire safety regulations, Fireco has an advantage over other manufacturers.

But that doesn’t mean they have been able to ignore the economic downturn.

Ms Bussey said: “We are offering payment plans, which we have never done before, as well as the opportunity to lease rather than buy our products.

We need to keep the money coming in one way or another.”

Another company planning to grow by about 10% is Cavendish Communications, based in Newhaven, which employs 45 people.

It provides telecommunication solutions to businesses and is fortunate that new technology marches forward even if the economy contracts.

Managing director Lawrence Davison said: “The thing about telecoms is that most businesses do not have a choice about whether they have a telephone or not. People are wanting to reduce costs but they still need their telephone line or broadband connection.

“The other thing that is a benefit to us is the changing landscape of the market, which is primarily about the convergence of IT and telephonics.

“This is new and exciting technology. We have been around the sector for the past 18 years so we are in a good position to know exactly what our customers will want.”

Ironically, the new technology Mr Davison is talking about is one that will become more popular in a recession as cash-strapped companies aim to cut costs.

He said: “Integrating mobile devices with your desktop phone and computer leads to cost savings and increased productivity.

“Also, the new technology does not require large capital expenditure. If a company is downsizing they may want to shift to remote working such as people working from home.

“This is certainly an opportunity for us.”

Cavendish is not the only company involved in new technology that will light up the eyes of bean counters concentrating on the bottom line.

Hands Free Computing, in Hickstead, is the UK’s largest provider of Dragon speech recognition software which enables people to dictate letters and emails rather than type them.

It is seeing growth from the medical and private sector as cutbacks in administration departments have led to some managers having to do more secretarial work.

Managing director Lawrence Howard leads a staff of 22 and is hoping to recruit five more in the next few weeks.

He said: “Using our technology, individuals can be much more efficient and productive. We are also working with JobCentre Plus, which has a scheme called Access To Work for people whose disabilities mean they find it difficult to do their job.

“The scheme provides a grant to pay for technology to overcome these problems, which is what we offer. In 2008 we had 30% growth and we would be looking to match that at least next year.”

Mr Howard is keen to point out that no one is feeling smug about thriving as others suffer.

He said: “Anyone employed in a private business will be concerned and our staff are hearing from their friends and family about job losses.

“That is why they feel good about working here. We have a full order book plus we provide a product which genuinely helps people.

“That said, obviously no one likes the idea of a recession but if we can supply firms that are struggling now we should hopefully be able to work with them again in the future when they have recovered and starting to expand again.”

It’s not just companies dealing with advanced technology which are doing well.

Southover Foods, based in Southwick, delivers award-winning produce to more than 1,000 customers, ranging from small independent delis to Harrods.

As a result of new clients being won, including the major London-based delicatessen chain Eat, the company is hoping to employ an extra half dozen people next year.

Boss Steve Pearce, a trained butcher, said: “I started from scratch in 1989 with my wife Liz and now we employ 40 people. We are a specialist food distributor so we serve a niche in the market.

“It is still highly competitive though and people demand continuous quality, reliably delivered.”

Southover has also been helped by a £350,000 refurbishment and expansion, increasing its meat production space by almost 30% and adding a new development kitchen.

The investment has put the company in a good position to cope with increased orders but Mr Pearce admits that he wouldn’t have spent the money if he had known how sharp the economic downturn would be.

He said: “If we had waited until now we never would have done it. I am glad it is behind us but it was a concern for a while.

“I am pretty positive about the future, although we have made a more conservative budget than in the past. We have been going for 20 years and want to be in business another 20 at least.”

“I’m confident, but not cocky.”

Mark Froud, chief executive at Sussex Enterprise, looked to reassure companies that there are still opportunities despite the recession.

He said: “It’s very encouraging to hear that local companies from a range of sectors are continuing to expand and recruit new staff.

“Even during these tough economic times there are still many opportunities for business growth but it’s important that people stay focused and manage the risks to their businesses from external factors.

“The drop in the value of the pound has made the export market much more attractive and industries that supply niche markets or the hightech sector are still seeing a strong demand for their products and services.

“The key is to be cautious and plan strategically for the future, keeping a careful check on cash flow and overheads.”

Mr Froud added that businesses looking for help with any aspect of tackling the credit crunch can call Sussex Enterprise on 0845 6788867.