Energy specialist launches major recruitment drive

A fast-growing energy specialist in Nelson has launched a major recruitment drive to meet demand from companies taking advantage of record low oil and gas prices.

Businesswise Solutions is looking to increase its workforce from 15 to 25 by June 2016 as its turnover climbs towards the £2m mark.

Managing director Frazer Durris said one of the catalysts for growth has been the development of a new online utilities portal, which provides customers with real-time information on their energy usage.

Several blue-chip clients have already signed up to the software and Durris reported that this has helped save clients more than £700,000 in lower energy bills in the last month alone.

He said: "Businesses are recognising that markets are at an all-time low and some of the gas future markets have been trading at historical lows for the last month. Companies that want future budget certainty are looking to fix their energy costs for a number of years.

"We've invested a lot into the value-added services we provide to our clients, such as a new energy portal. It allows customers to control and manage their costs right across their property by providing them with real-time information.

"Typically they could be saving around 25 per cent by the better procurement of their energy but it's not unheard of to save 40 per cent from their energy bill.

"We've designed an exclusive deal for our clients that enables then to forward-buy energy at a secured rate up until September 2020. The uptake from our client base is around about 90 per cent."

In order to meet demand, Durris said four new starters were joining Businesswise Solutions in December 2015 and a further six staff would be recruited by the middle of next year.

Durris said turnover was set to grow year on year from £1m to £1.5m, with the target for 2016/17 being in excess of £2m. Customer numbers have grown from 300 to 400 in the past 12 months.

"We've got a constant recruitment policy in place now," said Durris. "If we find good people who fit into our culture then we'll find a role for them."

The company has a wide portfolio of high-profile clients including DFS, Daisy, Euravia and Futaba-Tenneco. Businesswise Solutions was established in 2010, by Durris and Dean Cockett, who self-financed the business without any lending support.