DCS change will bring more than 50 new jobs
Nov 4 2009 by Chris Knox, The Journal
A CLEANING company expects to create more than 50 jobs over the next 12 months after transforming its business model and setting up a catering franchise.
DCS Cleaning, in Newcastle has changed its name to DCS Multiserve after relaunching itself as a full facilities management business that offers services ranging from catering to ground maintenance.
The Killingworth firm, which was founded in 1987, has invested more than £20,000 in the expansion and expects to double its £2m turnover within a year and add 50 staff to its 150-strong workforce as a result.
Managing director Mike O’Hara decided to diversify the business just as the country began to lurch into recession, and realised that many companies were struggling to pay a long list of service providers for their facilities management needs.
He now hopes to set up offices in southern England in the coming years in order to maintain the company’s growth as well as build on relationships with its current clients.
He said: “We realised that we had to make a decision about how we wanted to run the business in the long term. We had always planned to expand, but the onset of the downturn really focused our energy.
“There are hordes of redundant workers who are now setting up their own cleaning businesses and we may have found ourselves lost as a result.
“As a full service business we are in a much stronger position and can save our clients money at this difficult time.
“We have invested heavily in training to ensure that we can offer this wide range of services and can even outsource some technical requirements such as mechanical and engineering jobs to ensure that we maintain our new one-stop-shop business model.”
The firm also operates the seven-strong Café Meo chain of cafes, which are based at workplaces in Gateshead, Washington and Darlington, with three new units due to open by March next year.
Mr O’Hara is also in discussions to roll out the chain among the region’s high-streets by as early as next year, and is also planning a range of new services to create even more revenue streams into the business.
The firm’s transformation is being aided by Newcastle-based consultancy Professional People Management (PPM), which is currently advising it on everything from HR management to the corporate structure of the new business.
PPM director Maureen Lindberg said: “We have helped the company through its transition from DCS Cleaning Network Ltd to DCS Multiserve Ltd. We are now working together on a robust employment framework for the new company, which will lead onto a development programme for all staff.
“It’s excellent to see how business- focused advice has helped DCS’ business strategy to build a solid future for the company’s employees.”
