AdviserPlus aims to double staff as recession loosens grip

THE business support firm set up by recruitment entrepreneur Karl Chapman has revealed plans to grow the business and double its staff in Yorkshire.

AdviserPlus, which offers professional services to mid-cap and FTSE 100 companies, wants to expand from its Saltaire office after winning contracts with technology, retail and financial services firms. The firm expects to turn over between 5.5m and 6m this year after emerging unscathed from the recession.

Chris Clarke, managing director of AdviserPlus, said they chose to open in Yorkshire because of the opportunity to supply transactional and payroll services to large companies in the region, particularly in the Aire Valley.

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Now they hope to expand the advisory and human resources team as Britain slowly emerges from recession.

The Saltaire centre currently provides HR, health and safety, training, administration and payroll services to mid-market firms.

Mrs Clarke, who joined the firm six years ago after working for Security Pacific Eurofinance, said: "While the recession has not worked in our favour it has not had a negative impact other than slowing down decision-making (at potential clients]. People were more cautious about taking decisions.

"We have not lost any customers and we have started to increase the momentum over the last six months."

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The firm has grown to 120 staff with the majority based in Bromborough on the Wirral. The firm operates under the name of its clients, most of whom have intranets – internal internet systems – on which AdviserPlus sits.

Its website bears the slogan "Although you'll know our clients, you probably won't have heard of us" and the firm says its services are in between insourcing and outsourcing.

The firm was set up in 2001 by Mr Chapman after he sold Spring Group, formerly CRT Group, to Adecco in a 107m deal. Under his leadership CRT, a training and recruitment business, grew to a market capitalisation of more than 600m with 2,500 staff.

The law graduate started out at Guinness Mahon Investment Management in 1985 and left in in 1989 to set up CRT Group.

His success with the group has given him a high profile in the north of England.