Electrical safety experts Epsilon Test Services is recruiting engineers against the emerging slow down driven by economic downturn.
The company reports that over 20 electricians have been appointed in the past three months and a further 12 vacancies are being recruited for.
Explaining the expansion, managing director Mark Blanchfield commented, "Epsilon continues to grow and with increasing business development activities backed by our new parent PHS Group, we need to further strengthen the workforce to meet demand. We need more engineers in all areas of the country for both portable appliance and periodic fixed installation testing."
Epsilon specialises in electrical safety testing and this maintenance work still appears lucrative even though many in the trade are suffering with the dramatic slow down in the house building and construction industry in the UK.
In the past month Barratt, Bovis Homes, Redrow and Persimmon all made mass job cuts and Taylor Wimpey sought refinancing in June. The knock-on effects are already being reported by suppliers to the trade.
Supporting Epsilon's strategy to focus on safety testing, the new chairman of the British Institute of Facilities Managers (BIFM) described facilities management as "recession-proof" in a recent interview and backed this statement by explaining that companies may cut back on non-essentials but would continue to need safety provision and maintenance. Electrical safety is an essential part of compliance with safety legislation and, being mandatory, this work is insulated from economic fluctuations.
According to Mark Blanchfield, the company is benefiting from established preferred supplier contracts and continues to win business thanks to its technical set up. Engineers are equipped with testers and PDA devices with which they transmit back data to the central servers, meaning faster reporting for clients. "We forecast continued growth and expansion throughout 2008," he added, "and we have set very aggressive targets for further increases, meaning more recruitment in the short and medium term."
The company employs over 140 engineers across the country, plus 12 regional staff and an additional 50 head office staff based in Gloucester.