Job announcements for March week 3

There were a wealth of positive announcements from high growth, predominanly small to medium size private companies:

Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited
Japanese car company Nissan plans to build a new model at its UK factory under a £125 million investment programme, creating 2,000 new jobs. The project is supported by a £9.3 million grant from the Government.

Burcote Wind Limited
Renewable energy developer Burcote Wind is to invest £1bn in wind farm projects across Scotland. As a result a total of 585 jobs could be created, approximately 110 permanent jobs in engineering and maintenance around the wind farms and approximately 475 construction jobs during the build phases.

Negotiate Now
Negotiate Now, an online discount deals company, has launched a new business support arm, Business Growth Now as part of its expansion strategy. The company is creating up to 100 new jobs in Glasgow, for telesales, business development, IT and social media consultants.

20:20 Mobile Group Limited
Distributor 20:20 Mobile has won a tender with insurance company ACE Group to provide full call centre and claims administration service for O2's insurance products that will create 100 jobs.

Applegate Directory Ltd
Online marketing firm, Applegate Directory, is creating 100 new sales and software development roles in 2012 as part of a major expansion. The company has taken a lease on a warehouse adjacent to its existing premises in Barnstaple, Devon, doubling its available space. Applegate employs 100 staff.

Pulsant Limited
Pulsant Ltd is expanding into cloud computing following a £24m private equity investment from BridgePoint. It aims to increase turnover from £30m to £50m by 2015, by targeting mid-tier firms that are moving into cloud computing. It is moving to new headquarters in Scotland and expects to increase headcount by 50.

Green Investment Bank Limited
Green Investment Bank is to open its headquarters in Edinburgh, with a second office in London. The bank is being set up with 3bn of public money to help firms finance early-stage renewable energy schemes.

Gensler Limited
Gensler Ltd is establishing an office in Birmingham as part of a major UK expansion plan, creating up to 50 jobs. The new office will be the Genslers first office outside of its EMEA headquarters in London. Gensler is a global architecture, design, planning and consulting business with more than 3,000 employees in 40 countries.

Mouchel Group
Business services group Mouchel has been appointed to produce an inventory of Northern Ireland Waters above-ground assets and an assessment of their condition. Mouchel is recruiting 40 staff to work on the 18-month contract, which will also provide opportunities for local companies.

Opus Recruitment Solutions
IT specialist recruiter Opus Recruitment Solutions is to open a Holborn, London office on 2 April 2012. The Bristol-based firm has more than 30 employees and a predicted turnover for 2012 of over 12m and will recruit 20 staff for the London office.

Michelmores
Law firm Michelmores is to move its Mayfair, London, office to larger premises, which has scope to double the size of the 20-strong London team. The company has recruited over 25 new employees during the 12 months to March 2012.

OMNISOFT SERVICES
Software development company Omnisoft Services is to launch a new software development hub in South Norfolk leading to the creation of around 15 new jobs.

Edward Hands & Lewis
Rapidly expanding law firm Edward Hands & Lewis is opening a new head office in Leicester. The company needed more space after launching new services. 26 of the firm's 35 employees will move in to the new office, which has space for 50 people. The firm has taken on 10 people in the 6 months to March 2012. Jason Hathaway is the managing director.

Sciencesoft
Software firm Sciencesoft is to build a new training centre at its Glasgow head office, creating 10 new jobs across training, sales and software development. The extension will cost £120,000. Turnover rose 40% in 2011 to £2.3 million, with profits up 120% to £500,000. William Wood is the sales director.

ICO3
E-commerce specialist ICO3, which offers web design and project management services, is recruiting an additional seven members of staff and moving to a bigger base in Plymouth, after receiving PWGF funding of £80,000. The business matched the £80,000 PGWF funding with £100,000 of its own money in order to recruit the new members of staff and move to larger premises.

Playmob Limited
PlayMob Ltd, the developer of GiverBoard technology which enables charities to fundraise through game micropayments, has secured 500,000 of funding from a number of investors, including Midven and NESTA. Birmingham-based PlayMob plans to recruit 5 more employees, automate its technology and develop add-ons.

Kenyon Fraser Limited
Marketing and communications consultancy Kenyon Fraser is opening an office in Leeds. The firm achieved record turnover in the final quarter of 2011 and is expanding to serve clients in Yorkshire and the north east.

Swains Plc
Expanding telecommunications firm Swains Plc has opened a new office in Norwich and has also launched a new mobile phone service. As a Mobile Virtual Network Operator it is now able to provide both Vodafone and O2 mobile phone services to its business customers. Swains employs 28 people and expects to create new jobs. 2011 turnover was 7.46m.

Abintegro
March 12