Tech firm bucks trend with business growth

Control room technology specialist APD Communications has stepped up recruitment during the current pandemic, hiring 19 new employees since lockdown began.

Over the past year the company has increased its workforce with around 50 new roles and, while the Covid-19 crisis has crippled many businesses, the company has continued to be fully operational.

APD is a supplier of software to the emergency services, public safety and control room markets and has now grown to 170 employees, based across its offices in the UK, predominantly at its head office in Hull, and a small satellite team in India.

The tech firm’s headcount has increased by over 30% since November 2019.

It is in spite of the entire APD team having worked from home since the outbreak began, using tools and technology embedded within the business well before the crisis hit.

APD managing director, Mike Isherwood, said: “We’ve kept the company moving forward and continued to support our customers at a time when they need our support most.

“Our success is absolutely down to our people and their performance. They’ve done an incredible job and we’re continuing to invest in new technology and software and recruit strongly.

“We haven’t furloughed anyone, because we haven’t needed to, and our teams have adapted incredibly well.

“People have shifted their roles and responsibilities to support colleagues. It’s amazing to work with people who have responded so positively.”

APD is forecasting £16m turnover in the 2020/2021 financial year, compared to £6m four years ago. It completed the 2019/2020 financial year with an order book larger than its £11m turnover for that year.

Isherwood attributed this growth to securing long-term contracts and upgrades for existing customers and winning new business within the UK police sector.

New international customers include a major IT and communications network operator and a transport operator in the Netherlands.

In addition, APD is now delivering a Home Office contract the company won earlier this year.

This is to develop critical software to enable blue light organisations and other public services to transition to a game-changing communications network for the emergency services.

APD has been working to keep its remotely-based staff connected to each other during lockdown.

And it even launched a company-wide initiative in which all employees were sent a packet of APD-branded sunflower seeds.

Staff were encouraged to use the increased time with their families, at home and in their gardens, to take part in a competition to grow the largest plants.

Wendy Hiley, talent attraction and engagement business partner at APD, said the level of recruitment during lockdown was the highest in the company’s history.

She added: “To have 19 new starters in the lockdown period alone is remarkable and this has been my busiest time to date in recruitment at APD.

“We’ve taken on people who were facing uncertainty in their careers because of the pandemic, so it has been great to be able to offer them a new start.”