Newport-headquartered outsourced services specialists, Smart Solutions, is launching a new division dedicated to permanent recruitment and has appointed one of south Wales’ most respected consultants to drive it forward.
Simon Purchase from Port Talbot, has more than 30 years’ experience in the recruitment sector in south Wales, primarily focusing on the manufacturing, technical and engineering sectors. This includes 10 years as technical permanent manager with Acorn Recruitment.
In his new role at Smart Solutions, Mr Purchase will focus on permanent staff recruitment across a range of sectors, with a particular emphasis in the waste and recycling sector.
Smart Solutions has also made a further appointment to consolidate its permanent recruitment offering, with Mark Berry from Grantham, joining as executive consultant. Mr Berry will expand Smart Solutions’ permanent portfolio by offering executive search and select services, specialising in the waste and environmental services sector.
Executive search and selection is a specialist department within Smart Solutions’ permanent division, concentrating primarily on senior management, board and advisory board level appointments. Mr Berry will work closely with clients to develop a detailed understanding of the kind of high calibre candidate they are looking for, before identifying and liaising with suitable individuals.
Mr Berry has more than 30 years’ executive search and select experience across a number of industries, and has worked exclusively in the waste sector for nearly 20 years, handling the identification and appointment of key senior staff members for many of the sector’s most high-profile companies.
Permanent recruitment is the latest in a number of new divisions launched by Smart Solutions in the past 12 months, as it works to expand its core service offering across the UK.
Mr Purchase said: “Smart Solutions already has a first-class reputation for excellent service on its flexible recruitment accounts, and I look forward to leading the new permanent team to the same high standards and level of success within the permanent recruitment arena.
“Alongside Mark Berry, we have already recruited two new permanent consultants to help drive the division and are likely to recruit a further two consultants within the next six months to cope with the demand for our services.
“I am confident my considerable experience and contacts will be invaluable in growing this new division, and helping Smart Solutions consolidate its reputation as a leading name in the waste sector, and in recruitment UK-wide.”
Mr Berry said: “Smart Solutions is an established and well-respected name in waste and environmental recruitment, an area in which I have significant experience of high-level executive search.
“Successful executive search relies on confidentiality, professionalism, the ability to maintain awareness of key developments within the industry, and to establish a network of effective relationships. My objective is to provide an individually tailored service to both client and candidate to continue Smart Solutions’ reputation for success.”
In the last year Smart Solutions has continued the expansion of its core service offering through a number of national contract wins. It was recently ranked number 25 in Investec’s list of fastest-growing private firms in the UK, one of only two in Wales.
Ieuan Rosser, managing director of Smart Solutions Recruitment, said: “We have introduced a number of new divisions in the last year, focusing on driving, construction and commercial recruitment, and the creation of a specific division, and focusing solely on permanent recruitment it is an important step in. We have therefore invested in direct permanent recruitment consultants, with plans in the pipeline to extend our office network around the UK.
“Simon brings extensive experience of several key industry areas and in-depth knowledge of the recruitment landscape within south Wales, and the influential individuals within it. Similarly, Mark’s extensive network of contacts will be invaluable in helping our clients to find exactly the candidate they are looking for. These two key appointments allow us to expand on our position as a leader in the waste and recycling sectors by offering permanent as well as temporary solutions, while continuing the progression of the business as a whole.”
Smart Solutions offers a range of managed services including recruitment, personnel development, training, waste management, managed services, consultancy and commodities trading.
Established in 2007, Smart Solutions has become one Wales’ most successful emerging brands, and is the only business in Wales to have received a Fast Growth 50 award four times. It was also ranked in the top 50 recruitment firms by Recruiter Magazine in 2015.