Home Appointments & Contracts Coleman James welcomes new Director to drive business growth

Coleman James welcomes new Director to drive business growth

Andrew Mackay and Astrid Clough of Coleman James

A fast-growth niche recruitment business has announced the appointment of a new director who joins the company to spearhead its exciting plans for expansion.

Newcastle based Coleman James has welcomed on board recruitment specialist Astrid Clough to head up the facilities management team and work alongside company founder Andrew Mackay to shape the future of the business.

The specialist recruitment firm, which focuses on the construction and built environment sectors, has experienced rapid growth since it was founded in 2016. In just over two years, it has gained more than 80 clients, created eight new jobs and is forecasting a turnover of £1.6m in this financial year – more than double the previous year.

Astrid joins the company hot on the heels of its move to a brand new office space at Hoults Yard, Newcastle, in October. With over 12 years’ experience in the industry, 10 of which have been spent exclusively in the facilities management sector, Astrid is an expert in the field. She also sits on the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) North Committee, formally BIFM, the professional body for the industry.


Founder and Managing Director Andrew Mackay, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Astrid on board at this exciting time for the business. She brings with her a wealth of experience in the facilities management sector and knows the industry inside out.

“Astrid is dedicated to building relationships with the people she works with, she’s a strategic thinker and will play a key role in driving the business forward.

“Our focus is on attracting and retaining the best staff and we’re fortunate to have some of the most talented in the business working here at Coleman James. It’s our aim to create a great ethos and culture with a team which is passionate about recruitment and we’re all about investing in our people.”

To support its ambitious expansion plans, the company is looking to grow its headcount by another 50% in the coming months and further expand its services outside of its North East base. Astrid, who spent time in Manchester before returning to her native North East, will be responsible for driving the plans forward.

Astrid commented: “I’m proud to join Coleman James as the company starts its new chapter at Hoults Yard. There’s a real buzz about the new office and I’ve joined the company at an exciting time as it goes from strength to strength. In recruitment I believe the most important thing is the relationships you build and the way Coleman James works in partnership with both clients and staff is one of the main reasons I decided to join the company.

“Coleman James does things differently. I really believe in the way the business is run and I’m looking forward to putting my stamp on its future.”

Coleman James was founded by experienced recruitment specialist Andrew to offer a different type of service to clients. Starting out from scratch on his own sharing a downstairs office with another business at Gosforth Business Park, Andrew has built a highly successful recruitment business founded on its core values of partnership, integrity, knowledge and excellence. The company takes its name from an inspirational lady in Andrew’s life – his late Grandma Audrey Coleman – and ‘James’ is his middle name.

Andrew continued: “In a short space of time, Coleman James has expanded into sectors including the architectural, building services and interior design markets in addition to our core building and civil engineering markets. There’s real demand for our services and market intelligence, and we have ambitious plans for growth. It’s set to be a positive year as we look to double our workforce and deliver a national service from our base in the north.

“I firmly believe that our relationship-led approach, investment in our people and the latest technologies are key to our success and demonstrate why we’re not just another recruitment business.

“We’re looking forward to evolving further with our fantastic team delivering an unrivalled service and placing more high quality candidates into professional roles.”