A Belfast construction recruitment company has opened a new office in the US.
Necto Search and Selection, which is based in the Innovation Factory business hub on the Springfield Road, said it will launch in Philadelphia in September in an effort to take advantage of the growing sector in the region.
The firm, which specialises in filling vacancies for site and project managers, engineers, quantity surveyors and planners, has been in operation in Northern Ireland since it was founded just two years ago by Paddy McDade and Aaron Linden. It initially expanded into the Republic and has plans to target other areas of the US in the near future, including Connecticut, also on the east coast of the US.
“Pennsylvania is our starting point with plans to move into Connecticut followed by other states in the coming months,” Paddy McDade said. “Our staff team will remain in Belfast at the Innovation Factory, working remotely to assist clients and recruit key staff though we plan to open an office on the east coast of America.”
Aaron Linden said there is significant opportunity in the US market.
“Recruiters from the UK and Ireland have a good reputation in the United States so when we made the initial approach to construction firms in Philadelphia, we received a positive reaction,” he said. “One of the reasons we are targeting the US market is the sheer size of the recruitment industry. In 2021 it was $177.1bn with $189.1bn projected in 2023. It presents a huge opportunity to grow our business substantially,” Aaron Linden added.
Innovation Factory houses a mix of entrepreneurs looking to start their own projects and established companies.
Innovation Factory Centre Director Neil Allen praised the Necto team.
“The team at Necto have drive and energy that has allowed them to move into new markets quickly,| he said. "We are committed to supporting the innovative companies that are part of this creative community of entrepreneurs.”
Innovation Factory is owned by Belfast City Council and operated on their behalf by Oxford Innovation. The £9.1 million business hub was funded by Belfast City Council and Invest NI with support from the European Regional Development Fund.
