Workmates gears up for London Olympics

Edited by the Buildingtalk editorial team Nov 29, 2006

Workmates, the nationwide construction recruitment agency, is opening a second London office to help contractors fill labour shortages in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.

Workmates, the nationwide construction recruitment agency, is opening a second London office to help contractors fill labour shortages in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.

"We expect to see increasing demand for trades and labour throughout the capital as the London Olympics construction project gets into full swing," said Philip Andrews, joint managing director of Workmates (Building Trades) .

"Our new office at Southwark will enable us to continue to support our expanding London client base with the high level of service that is our trademark".

The Southwark office is the first of several new branches Workmates will add to its UK network during the company's 20th anniversary year.

Brothers Philip and Robin Andrews founded Workmates in November 1986 working from a one-room office above a hamburger bar in central Reading.

The company now employs 70 people, and its growing network of offices includes branches at Queen Street in London EC4, Reading (head office), Winchester, Hayle, Oxford, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow.

In 1995 the company launched a new division, Daniel Owen Associates, which recruits construction professionals ranging from site managers and surveyors to architects and engineers.

The two brands - which now support some 400 building firms throughout England, Wales and Scotland - have more than 1,000 temps out working each week, and have placed over 300 construction professionals in permanent jobs during the past year.

Workmates and Daniel Owen trade under the slogan 'Building Better Futures by Putting People First' and serve clients ranging from sole traders to multi-national companies.

Both businesses target all construction sectors, including main contractors and developers, MandE, maintenance and services, architecture, civil engineering, the public sector and shop-fitting.