Liverpool recruiter merges with Bury-based rival

LIVERPOOL-based recruitment company Assist Recruitment has completed a merger with Bury-based HC Recruitment (HC).

The combined business will have a turnover of over £45m and provides up to 6,000 temporary workers from 16 branches and 20 embedded customer locations from Scotland to London and the South East.

Both Assist and HC provide temporary commercial and industrial staff to blue and white collar sectors supporting firms such as Findel, JD Sports, Music Magpie and Greggs the Bakers. RBS Invoice finance has also provided a new £9m invoice discounting line to help fund the deal.

Dave Dargan, managing director of Assist, said: “This is a fantastic step forward for our company.

“Our combined business is now one of the largest industrial recruiters in the UK, which presents some exciting opportunities for our customers and our staff.”

Matt Cullen, managing director at HC, said: “Our combined experience, innovative IT platform and ability to support our customers nationally, will provide some great opportunities for us to develop new and existing relationships.”

Assist Recruitment was advised on the deal by accountants Cowgill Holloway and law firm George Davies. HC Recruitment was advised by CLB Coopers and SNG Legal.

Andy Pickford, corporate development director at RBS Invoice Finance, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as the funding partner for this new venture. Both agencies have impressive track records and we look forward to supporting this dynamic management team going forward.”